A neighbour to consult with is important in dementia-friendly communities: associated factors of self-efficacy allowing older adults to continue living alone in community settings

To establish a society in which people with dementia can live with hope and dignity, ‘The Basic Act on Dementia to Promote an Inclusive Society’ was enacted in Japan in June 2023. However, there is no sufficient or comprehensive assessment tool to quantitatively assess the status of dementia-friendly communities (DFCs). Furthermore, the development of such tools has been reported to need involving people with dementia. In the era of a 100-year lifespan, anyone can develop dementia; therefore, it is necessary to have personal and social resources that allow people to have self-efficacy to live in their community, even if they develop dementia in the future. To the best of our knowledge, no study has evaluated DFCs from the perspective of self-efficacy in continuing community living.

This study was conducted at a housing complex in Tokyo, Japan. Using the community-based participatory research methodology, we established a community centre in 2017 where residents could consult with physicians and public health nurses free of charge; research has been conducted at the centre in close relationships with residents and local healthcare professionals.

This study aimed to assess how the presence of someone you can talk to about your problems as a personal resource, especially those living in the neighbourhood, affects older adults' self-efficacy to continue living alone in community settings.