Enabling the neighbourhood: a case for rethinking dementia-friendly communities

This chapter explores the understanding behind the emerging dementia-friendly communities (DFC) agenda. A five-year international qualitative study investigated the experience of the neighbourhood for people living with dementia and their care partners. Despite efforts to place people with dementia at the heart of the DFC movement, limited attention has been given to their actions and agency in a neighbourhood context. Spatial and affective practices of people living with dementia highlight the idea of ‘enabling neighbourhoods’. The chapter also notes the importance of engagement with diverse places and social opportunities in the neighbourhood to managing life with dementia alongside keeping up with wellbeing and social health. Ultimately, research shows the value of attending to the ‘doing’ of the neighbourhood, the transformative impact it can have on social relations over time, and the influence of people with dementia as agents of change.