Co-design of a Kids Dementia Game

Background: People living with dementia continue to raise concerns about how they are perceived and that people, including their families and health workers still do not understand their capabilities or how they might continue to meaningfully contribute towards society. Younger people are now experiencing dementia in their family with limited support due to a lack of understanding and/or negative perceptions. Positive education may facilitate a child’s understanding and empower them to engage more effectively in relationships with people with progressive illnesses such as dementia. Digital gaming or ‘gamification’ is becoming an increasingly common way to educate/train.

Aims: To co-design a Kids Dementia Game

Methods: June – December 2021 virtual workshops were held with 10 people living with dementia discussing what children need to know about their condition, and face-to-face workshops were held with 30 primary school students who completed think clouds as prompts for the conversations about what children see when someone has dementia, what they needed to know about dementia and what children might do to help a person with dementia. Data were thematically analysed, then formed into statements to be ranked by children and people living with dementia. Consensus was then reached on the game content and format.

Results: Three key themes for game content: 1) Children overwhelmingly felt they needed to know more about dementia, 2) Children are aware of the changes that impact on the person with dementia causing different behaviours, 3) children know that dementia is not a normal part of aging but their experience rests primarily with older relatives.

Conclusion: Children in this study categorically wanted to know more about dementia and believed that all children should know about it. People living with dementia also agreed and welcomed the idea of the game to help them explain to children why they might behave as they do due to their dementia.

www.kids.dementiagame.com