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https://doi.org/10.22364/lmahc.fd.24.05 | 56-62 | PDF

Sensitive Memory Work in Finland

Sven Claes, Ida Mitchell
The Alzheimer Society of Finland

Siiri Jaakson, Ann-Ly Palosaari
The Finnish Centre for Cultural Diversity and Memory

This part of the monograph explores sensitive memory work for minority ethnic groups in Finland. The Finnish social and healthcare system emphasizes the rights of individuals with dementia to dignified care. Still, assessing individuals with different linguistic backgrounds poses significant hurdles, such as delayed diagnoses and cultural taboos surrounding dementia. The Alzheimer Society of Finland and the Finnish Centre for Cultural Diversity and Memory MUKES elaborate the initiatives for supporting linguistic and cultural diversity in memory care. Their projects, the Memory Guide Project and the Jututtaja Project, strive to empower ethnic minorities by training volunteers as memory guides and phone companions, respectively. The importance of cultural competence and flexibility is highlighted. Continued development, training, and collaboration is needed to enhance societal understanding of the diverse aging population in Finland.

Keywords: sensitive memory work, minority ethnic groups, volunteers

From: Balode, Ineta; Lele-Rozentāle, Dzintra; Priede, Zanda (compilers and scientific editors). Linguistic and Medical Aspects in Health Care. Focus on Dementia. Riga: University of Latvia Press, 2024.