A charity which tackles the stigma associated with dementia within the East Asian community in Sheffield has hosted two events this February.
For some ethnic groups and immigrant families, the rate of diagnosis is significantly higher than in the native English population.
This is due to historical immigration patterns.
Stephanie Chung, 41, founder of Changing Seasons said: “Those people who came over in the 70s and 60s are now reaching the age where dementia might be posing problem.”
Changing Seasons is a project by Stephanie Chung that supports East Asian families and raises awareness on health issues, such as dementia.
Mrs Chung said: “It’s about bringing people together and being able to have these connections.”
In Asian culture, admitting that you are struggling can feel like a stigma or personal failure.
Dr Josephine Reynolds is a Sheffield University academic who researches racial equity in healthcare, and spoke at a Changing Seasons lunch for families experiencing dementia.
She said: “There is still a lot of stigma within the community.”
Mrs Chung said: “A lot of families tend to hide the fact that somebody might be starting to decline.
“My grandma would mask the fact that my granddad was not as able as he once was.
“He became like a child, and she had to take him everywhere, tell him what to do all the time.”
Changing Seasons also help with language barriers and access to healthcare, as this are the biggest challenges faced.
Dr Reynolds said: “Language barrier is really problematic for that community particularly.
“Particularly older generations do not speak that much English.
“People tent to mainly retain their mother tongue language as dementia symptoms start to kick in.”
There are a number of particular dialects spoken that adds difficulty in accessing treatment and medical advice.
This reluctance to discuss dementia openly often leads to delayed diagnoses, making it harder to put the right support structures in place.
Dementia is one of the most growing illnesses, affecting people across all communities.
According to Sheffield City Council statistics, up to 7,300 people over 65 currently living with dementia.
Dementia causes difficulties not only for people directly affected, but for their carers and families.
Mrs Chung said: “For my mother-in-law, her mental decline has been quite significant.
“I see the impact it has on my father-in-law, on my husband, and even on my children.”
Some people forget about security measures that can be dangerous for them and people surrounding them.
Changing season project is also about spending quality time together and having interactions, and that can also boost your mood, and that has a massive impact on your mental health.
