Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning Program
As recognition grows around the need for equitable, person-centered engagement for people living with neurocognitive disorders or dementia, accessible community programs that challenge stigma and foster inclusion remain limited. This program presents a 12-week ukulele learning program co-led by a pe...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251360518 |
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| _version_ | 1850074254339473408 |
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| author | Jason Jincheng Fu Joey Oi Yee Wong Mario Gregorio Lillian Hung |
| author_facet | Jason Jincheng Fu Joey Oi Yee Wong Mario Gregorio Lillian Hung |
| author_sort | Jason Jincheng Fu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As recognition grows around the need for equitable, person-centered engagement for people living with neurocognitive disorders or dementia, accessible community programs that challenge stigma and foster inclusion remain limited. This program presents a 12-week ukulele learning program co-led by a person living with dementia that advances health equity by promoting inclusion, empowerment, and social connection through music. Developed through a university-community partnership, the program was intentionally designed to welcome participants from diverse cultural backgrounds and cognitive abilities into an accessible and supportive environment. Unlike conventional music-based interventions, the initiative emphasized active skill development, co-leadership, and intergenerational collaboration. Qualitative reflections from the program leads and team members identified 4 key themes: (1) confronting stigma and reimagining capacity; (2) fostering social inclusion and connectedness; (3) creating shared joy and respite for care partners; and (4) encouraging mutual learning and support. Participants emphasized the program as transformative in advancing health equity by challenging dominant deficit-based narratives, affirming the strengths of individuals often marginalized in traditional care settings. This initiative offers a scalable model for an inclusive, community-driven approach to enhance quality of life, strengthen relationships among people living with dementia and their care partners, and promote equitable health outcomes for people living with dementia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d99aa23120244e1b992cb2e50f6bee95 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2150-1327 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-d99aa23120244e1b992cb2e50f6bee952025-08-20T02:46:37ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272025-07-011610.1177/21501319251360518Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning ProgramJason Jincheng Fu0Joey Oi Yee Wong1Mario Gregorio2Lillian Hung3School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaSchool of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaSchool of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaSchool of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaAs recognition grows around the need for equitable, person-centered engagement for people living with neurocognitive disorders or dementia, accessible community programs that challenge stigma and foster inclusion remain limited. This program presents a 12-week ukulele learning program co-led by a person living with dementia that advances health equity by promoting inclusion, empowerment, and social connection through music. Developed through a university-community partnership, the program was intentionally designed to welcome participants from diverse cultural backgrounds and cognitive abilities into an accessible and supportive environment. Unlike conventional music-based interventions, the initiative emphasized active skill development, co-leadership, and intergenerational collaboration. Qualitative reflections from the program leads and team members identified 4 key themes: (1) confronting stigma and reimagining capacity; (2) fostering social inclusion and connectedness; (3) creating shared joy and respite for care partners; and (4) encouraging mutual learning and support. Participants emphasized the program as transformative in advancing health equity by challenging dominant deficit-based narratives, affirming the strengths of individuals often marginalized in traditional care settings. This initiative offers a scalable model for an inclusive, community-driven approach to enhance quality of life, strengthen relationships among people living with dementia and their care partners, and promote equitable health outcomes for people living with dementia.https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251360518 |
| spellingShingle | Jason Jincheng Fu Joey Oi Yee Wong Mario Gregorio Lillian Hung Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning Program Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| title | Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning Program |
| title_full | Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning Program |
| title_fullStr | Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning Program |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning Program |
| title_short | Reimagining Engagement in Dementia Care: Insight From a Community-Based Ukulele Learning Program |
| title_sort | reimagining engagement in dementia care insight from a community based ukulele learning program |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251360518 |
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