The EMPOWER Dementia Network is a collaboration of six leading UK universities with expertise in dementia care, social care, primary care, public health, and palliative care, working alongside experts by lived experience and 11 community partners dedicated to improving dementia care.
Together, we are committed to pioneering new approaches that ensure people with dementia and their families live a meaningful life, regardless of their background or circumstances.
The Problem
As the demand for high-quality dementia care grows, we must address the persistent inequalities in health and social care. Research has shown that dementia risk factors, such as high blood pressure, disproportionately affect people from ethnic minorities. For example, research tells us that Black people are 1.57 times more likely to develop dementia due to high blood pressure, while South Asian individuals face a 1.18 times higher risk compared to White people. These disparities highlight the urgent need for inclusive, equitable dementia care that addresses the unique challenges faced by diverse communities.
Our Mission
At the EMPOWER Dementia Network, we aim to:
- Support equality in dementia care: We work to address the inequalities faced by marginalised and underserved groups, ensuring everyone receives high-quality care.
- Empower people and families: Through innovative research, we empower people with dementia and their families to voice their needs, ensuring they are heard and central to shaping the future of dementia care.
- Advance meaningful research: By developing community-focused and co-produced solutions, we seek to transform how dementia care is delivered, particularly for those with complex needs.
Our Goals
Through this collaboration, we aim to:
- Build a platform for collaboration: We connect communities, lived experience experts, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to work together toward equality in dementia care.
- Foster inclusive research: We develop and implement outreach strategies that focus on underrepresented groups, such as ethnically diverse communities, people living in poverty, and those with severe dementia and multiple health conditions.
- Promote equal opportunity: By innovating inclusive research methods, we aim to increase participation in dementia studies, ensuring those with the most complex needs are represented.
- Create sustainable change: We develop system-based solutions to improve dementia care, working with policymakers and the public to address inequalities and drive lasting improvements in care quality.
Our Core Belief
We believe it is possible to live a meaningful life with dementia. Everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue activities that matter to them, connect with loved ones, and enjoy a high quality of life. However, significant barriers remain. People from disadvantaged backgrounds, whether due to ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or geography, often struggle to access the care they need, negatively impacting their lives and the well-being of their families. The EMPOWER Dementia Network is here to change that.
Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation says:
With over 7 percent of Britain’s Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds being over 65, their risk of developing Dementia rises. Our hope in participating in the EMPOWER Dementia Network is that we are able to contribute to improving the experiences and outcomes of people living with Dementia by using our expertise of tackling racism and disadvantage.
Contact Us
To learn more about the EMPOWER Dementia Network or to get involved, please reach out to us:
- Email: EMPOWER_Dementia_Network@kcl.ac.uk
