Dementia - an interdisciplinary approach

Dementia - an interdisciplinary approach

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End of life, more so today than in the past, has become a prolonged and arguably distinct phase of human existence, and has brought about new social, medical, legal and existential concerns.  These concerns are brought to an extreme when end of life is experienced in the context of dementia.

The Minerva Center for Interdisciplinary Study of End of Life at Tel Aviv University (Website) organized in June 2017 a three days international academic workshop entitled ‘Dementia: An Interdisciplinary Examination of an Ultimate Threat”.

Given the innovative topics raised in the workshop and the inspiring discussions that ensued, the Israel Journal of Health Policy Research joined forces with the Minerva Center to publish the papers that pertained to health policy in Israel.  Seven papers representing multiple disciplines suggest potential answers to the challenges posed by the experience of living with dementia, the care for persons with dementia and the research to aid in improving them.  Given the tremendous challenges posed by dementia to public policy around the world, we believe that this series of seven articles will enhance and inform both public education and debates on the topic.  Furthermore, these inter-disciplinary views represent opportunities to improve health policy in Israel and in other countries.

The workshop was organized by the directors of the Minerva Center for Interdisciplinary Study of End of Life:
Prof. Jiska Cohen-Mansfield
Dr. Shai Brill
Prof. Haim Hazan
Prof. Shai Lavi 

Netta Bentur, PhD, Senior Researcher, Minerva Center for Interdisciplinary Study of End of Life, facilitated the publication of this collection.

1. Content Type:Integrative Article

   Fake bus stops for persons with dementia? On truth and benevolent lies in public health

   Fake bus stops are one strategy to keep persons with dementia (PwD) from wandering. By setting up authentic looking shelters and benches in hallways or gardens, nursing homes create the illusion of bus stops, ...

   Authors:Pauline Lorey

   Citation:Israel Journal of Health Policy Research 2019 8:28

   Published on: 7 March 2019

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2. Content Type:Original Research Article

   More staff = better quality of life for people with dementia? results of a secondary data analysis in German shared-housing arrangements

   Shared-housing arrangements (SHAs) in Germany are an alternative care arrangement for people with dementia. They are disconnected from traditional nursing homes and are often situated in ordinary apartment bui...

   Authors:Johannes Gräske, Annika Schmidt and Karin Wolf-Ostermann

   Citation:Israel Journal of Health Policy Research 2019 8:26

   Published on: 20 February 2019

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3. Content Type:Integrative Article

   Dementia care in Israel: top down and bottom up processes

   Dementia is one of the main causes of disability among older adults and is viewed as one of the most distressing and devastating of conditions. Dementia has a profound impact on those who suffer from the disea...

   Authors:Netta Bentur and Shelley A. Sternberg

   Citation:Israel Journal of Health Policy Research 2019 8:22

   Published on: 20 February 2019

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4. Content Type:Integrative Article

   Medical gazes and meteorological metaphors: representations of dementia in contemporary motion pictures

   For the last two decades, there has been a surge of major motion pictures dealing with the topic of dementia. This trend reflects and at the same time informs and shapes an increasing public awareness of demen...

   Authors:Mark Schweda

   Citation:Israel Journal of Health Policy Research 2019 8:18

   Published on: 20 February 2019

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5. Content Type:Integrative Article

   Who is informed and who uninformed? Addressing the legal barriers to progress in dementia research and care

   Conduct of research is an essential tool for the evaluation and improvement of health services. In Israel, research on persons with dementia is very limited, with the largest portion of such research involving...

   Authors:Jiska Cohen-Mansfield

   Citation:Israel Journal of Health Policy Research 2019 8:17

   Published on: 20 February 2019

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6. Content Type:Integrative Article

   Mini research projects as a mechanism to improve the quality of dementia care

   Several models have been proposed to connect academia and practice in order to improve long-term care. In this paper we propose and describe the “Mini-Research Group” as an alternative model of such collaborat...

   Authors:Hava Golander

   Citation:Israel Journal of Health Policy Research 2019 8:16

   Published on: 20 February 2019

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