What is ISO 25552 about?
ISO 25552 provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary framework to develop a dementia-inclusive community.
Moreover, this document recognizes that training, resources, experience, personnel availability, and existing organizational structures are constraints that can have a direct impact on how quickly and effectively a dementia-inclusive community can be planned and implemented. Therefore, this document provides guidance on how to identify these constraints and address them as part of the process of designing a dementia-inclusive community.
This document was developed in response to a worldwide recognition that individuals, families, and communities need to be more inclusive concerning persons with dementia. One goal of this document is to engage and include persons with dementia and their families, and carers, in communities of all types, sizes, and locations.
A dementia-inclusive community is one that is committed to working together to promote a better understanding of dementia, reduce stigma, raise public awareness, and that facilitates social inclusion and participation. By fostering a dementia-inclusive environment, communities can support persons with dementia to be independent citizens, to be connected as much as they want to, to feel safe and comfortable, and to be able to maximize their abilities and opportunities to participate.
Who is ISO 25552 for?
The document will be of benefit to:
- authorities having jurisdiction within communities;
- organizations, congregations, and community groups;
- individuals in education, research, and development;
- planners, designers, and providers of products, services, the built environment, and the community infrastructures.
Why should you use ISO 25552?
The worldwide rise in the number of persons with dementia has led to a growing need to increase understanding of dementia in all societies. Stigmatization and discrimination towards persons with dementia sometimes occur within their community, creating barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and care, which can significantly impact their quality of life.
Within the UK research has shown that more than 850,000 people have dementia. One in 14 people over the age of 65 have dementia, and the condition affects 1 in 6 people over 80.
The number of people with dementia is increasing because people are living longer. It is estimated that by 2025, the number of people with dementia in the UK will be more than 1 million.
Some of the expected outcomes from the use of this document include the following:improvement of the quality of life for anyone with dementiadevelopment of quality services for persons with dementiaoptimization of the resources needed to develop a dementia-inclusive communitycreation of new opportunities for all stakeholders in a dementia-inclusive communitymore inclusive communities generally, where the participation of everybody, including persons with dementia, is facilitated and encouraged.
