Dementia Friends Unite: a multilingual dementia education initiative

This project involves a multilingual dementia education intervention, named Dementia Friends Unite, which was co-produced by a diverse network of stakeholders (including those with lived experiences of dementia). The following languages were covered: English, Arabic, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Greek, and Vietnamese. Three 2-hour educational workshops are provided (in each language) that address the following: foundations to dementia knowledge (based on information available via Dementia Australia); accessibility and enablement strategies (mainly adapted from Dementia Training Australia); and inclusivity strategies (with information adapted from Dementia Support Australia). The content is a blend of evidence-based information currently available in the English language that was culturally and linguistically adapted based on the lived experiences of our diverse stakeholders. Each workshop contains a combination of interactive discussions, short videos, and self-reflection activities. Although the activities and examples of the content are culturally adapted, the format and structure of the workshops remain consistent between the language groups. Education materials include a Powerpoint presentation with culturally sensitive graphics, images, and messaging; and a workbook containing the slides, space for participants to take notes on, and references to for all of the cited material. The workshops are delivered 4 weeks apart (or once per month over a 3 month period), in face-to-face settings such as community centres; and are co-facilitated by an in-field dementia expert (such as a researcher or clinician) and native speaking individual that advocates for dementia in that community. The native speaking facilitator has a guide for each workshop containing instructions on what to present and how to present each slide and activity. The in-field expert supports the workshop by clarifying any misconceptions, myths, or questions the audience may have. Attendance at all three workshops is not mandatory, however attendance at each workshop is captured. The workshops are promoted in-language using flyers, social media, and emails to networks within each community.