Project Summary
Utilising the award-winning House of Memories Dementia Awareness programme at National Museums Liverpool, this collaborative project will work with community leaders and those living with dementia across Liverpool African and Caribbean communities to create culturally appropriate resources. Through the refreshing of the My House of Memories app and the development of Memory Suitcases, these resources will tell stories of heritage and culture through an African and Caribbean lens for the wider community and health sector.
Resources will be available to access whether you are local or working with groups internationally to provide person-centred support within dementia care. The legacy of the project will be the creation of a House of Memories Diverse Communities Steering Group for those living with dementia from global majority communities who want to have a voice in future projects and resources created. Co-production is at the heart of the House of Memories programme, and through strengthening existing relationships as well as establishing new partnerships, we can work collaboratively to change care through culture.
Expected Impact
- Co-production of culturally appropriate dementia resources for the use of the African and Caribbean community and health workforce.
- Wider understanding of barriers to accessing support within the African and Caribbean community and awareness of dementia.
- Increased community connections across Liverpool’s dementia community and the African and Caribbean community.
- The continuation of developing accessible resources, adding to the 45,000 app users to date.
- Creation of a House of Memories Diverse Communities Steering Group for ongoing development within the dementia, cultural and wellbeing network.
Priority Areas
- Raising public awareness and addressing stigma and social exclusion
- Supporting families, friends, and unpaid carers
- Building a compassionate, skilled and supported workforce
- Inclusive uses of technology
Partners and Collaborators
This project would not be possible without the following community partners and collaborators:
- House of Memories, National Museums Liverpool
- Kuumba Imani Centre
- Active Minds Day Care Centre
- Back to Life Liverpool
Project Team
- Lizzie Ward – House of Memories Programme Manager – Research lead
- Aimee Fontenot – CEO of Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre, and community representatives
- Michelle King – CEO of Active Minds Day Care Centre, and centre participants living with dementia.
- Jacqui Walker – Founder of Back to Life Liverpool CIC, and participants