Walking the talk for dementia: A unique immersive, embodied, and multi-experiential initiative

Fernando Aguzzoli Peres, Aline Nogueira Haas, Angga Dwi Martha, Melissa Chan, Michelle Steele, Maria Teresa Ferretti, Ntokozo N. Ngcobo, Stefania Ilinca, Clara Domínguez-Vivero, Iracema Leroi, Nisha Sajnani, Eduardo R. Zimmer, Alex Kornhuber, Alexandre Kalache, Berrie Holtzhausen, Catarina Tristão-Pereira, Charlèss Dupont, Dan Cohen, David de Jong, David FacalDesmond O'Sullivan, Elaine Mateus, Enzo Roso, Evon Estrop, Giulia Gamba, Gustavo San Martin Elexpe, Hector Ulises Diaz Hernández, Helena Quaid, Ishtar Govia, João Barbosa, Joaquina García del Moral, Johnny Miller, José Antonio García García, Kevin Quaid, Laura Navarro, Laura Zúñiga García, Laureen Waters, Lebo Molete, Maria Eugenia Godoy, Maureen Sigauke, Max William de Ataide Schulte, Peter Estrop, Priscilla San Martin Elexpe Cardoso, Randall Perez, Rianna Patterson, Ronika Chakrabarti, Ruth Wong, Sara Marsillas, Shontonese Lowe, Taida Sánchez Rego, Temitope Farombi, Theresa Montgomery, Ton in ‘t Veen, Valli Yanni, Wendy Weidner, Agustin Ibanez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Coping with dementia requires an integrated approach encompassing personal, health, research, and community domains. Here we describe “Walking the Talk for Dementia,” an immersive initiative aimed at empowering people with dementia, enhancing dementia understanding, and inspiring collaborations. This initiative involved 300 participants from 25 nationalities, including people with dementia, care partners, clinicians, policymakers, researchers, and advocates for a 4-day, 40 km walk through the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain. A 2-day symposium after the journey provided novel transdisciplinary and horizontal structures, deconstructing traditional hierarchies. The innovation of this initiative lies in its ability to merge a physical experience with knowledge exchange for diversifying individuals' understanding of dementia. It showcases the transformative potential of an immersive, embodied, and multi-experiential approach to address the complexities of dementia collaboratively. The initiative offers a scalable model to enhance understanding, decrease stigma, and promote more comprehensive and empathetic dementia care and research.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2309-2322
Number of pages14
JournalAlzheimer's and Dementia
Volume20
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • dementia
  • diversity
  • experiential and immersive learning
  • lived experience
  • patient-family–oriented care
  • society
  • transdisciplinarity

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