Design Contributions to Raise Awareness of Dementia and Tackle Stigma

Dementia affects around 50 million people worldwide, and that number is expected to rise to 152 million by 2050. Around 40% of dementia cases arise from risk factors that could be avoided. It is crucial to bring prevention factors into public discourse, as well as the importance of timely diagnosis. Awareness-raising campaigns are a means of informing the public so that people can detect symptoms early, as well as tackle stigma and discrimination. This article is a preliminary study aimed at analyzing initiatives in dementia awareness and prevention. For the purpose of the research, documents were analyzed, and an analysis of case studies was made through web platforms and scientific articles. It was found that in Portugal, dementia awareness initiatives are limited to awareness campaigns, with a small number of projects in this area. Design as a means to raise awareness is an asset both in bringing dementia to the public discourse and in destigmatizing it. Hence, greater design investment in the area of dementia is considered essential.