According to the Alzheimer’s Association worldwide there are 55 million people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Despite the number of individuals and families affected, dementia is still stigmatized with little public awareness or conversation on the subject. Too often a diagnosis results in isolation, for both the individual living with the disease and their care partners as those who may have made up an individual’s support system pull away.
Over the past few years, care partners for those living with dementia have moved to social media to find, or build, a supportive community. TikTok has become an especially helpful platform and videos with the hashtag #dementia have racked up millions of views.
These social media posts do raise ethical questions though, particularly those posted by caregivers featuring the private information or video footage of those living with dementia. There are obvious issues around the privacy, dignity, and consent of the individuals living with dementia.
What is clear is that these videos do speak to a need for increased support and social connection for caregivers and the need to destigmatize dementia. Learn more about #dementia on social media through the article below.