Attitudes towards people with dementia in Germany

Abstract

People with dementia belong to long-life societies. As dementia affects all areas of a person's life, those affected and their relatives require support from very different areas of society. Against this background, it is important to investigate attitudes among the general population towards people with dementia. Of particular interest is how familiar the general population is with the topic of dementia, as well as perceptions of the possible support for people with dementia. Equally relevant is the extent to which people avoid contact with people with dementia in everyday life or even encounter them with fear. The study is based on data of 4.175 persons of the age of 45 to 90 years from the German Ageing Survey. Core statements: Many people are unfamiliar with dementia, while few are afraid of people with dementia. There are no significant differences in attitudes between age groups or between men and women. People with a higher educational level show a higher familiarity with dementia. A higher household income is associated with less fear and more perceived support opportunities in relation to people with dementia. However, household income is not related to willingness to provide care. Willingness to care for people with dementia is strongly related to familiarity with dementia.