Exploring the experiences of people living with dementia in dementia friendly communities in Northern Ireland: a realist evaluation.

While over 200 organisations in Northern Ireland (NI) recognised as dementia-friendly, limited understanding exists about how these communities function to achieve their intended outcomes, such as social inclusion, quality of life and increased dementia awareness.<br><br>Aim:<br>This study exploered the lived experiences of people living with dementia in geographical DFCs and identified factors that empower and support them in these settings.<br><br>Theoretical Framework:<br>The study used realist evaluation(RE), a theory-driven methodology suitable for assessing complex social interventions like DFCs.

Unlike traditional models, RE examines what works, for who, under what circumstances, and to what extent.<br><br>Methods:<br>A four-stage RE approach was employed. Stage 1 a realist literature review to establish initial context-mechanism- outcome (CMO) configurations. Stage 2 collected data in three phases: non-participant observations (n=10), semi-structured interviews with people with dementia and caregivers (n=10), and focus groups with caregivers and DFC staff (n=21).