Hur ser en god demensvård ut ur ett urfolksperspektiv?

The basis for equal health care is knowledge about the needs for different groups in the society. In Sweden it is statutory that health care and health services must be equal. However, Sami people’s health care needs are substantially overlooked in research as well as in policy. As the understanding and also expression of dementia symptoms might be different among Indigenous peoples, states need to address how culture and lifestyle might affect health services provided for Indigenous people. There are for instance, studies regarding Indigenous peoples that show an increased prevalence of dementia compared with the majority populations. Still in Sweden, we lack data on dementia prevalence and its risk factors in the Sami population. Previous and dated studies have shown some differences in prevalence of diseases between the Sami people and the reference population but in general there is a lack of updated knowledge on Sami people’s health and it is particularly visible in the field of research covering the elderly and dementia.Det är lagstadgat att vård ska erbjudas på lika villkor i Sverige men trots det är vård- och omvårdnadsinsatser utifrån samiskt perspektiv ett eftersatt och ojämlikt område. En grundförutsättning för att kunna bedriva jämlik vård är kunskap om hur behovet av vård ser ut. I urfolkskulturer kan förståelsen för och uttrycket av demenssymtom vara annorlunda vilket medför att särskild hänsyn kan behöva tas till kultur och livsstil. Tidigare studier har visat på vissa skillnader i sjukdomsförekomst mellan samer och referenspopulationen men överlag saknas det uppdaterad kunskap om samisk hälsa. Vad gäller andra urfolk så finns studier som visar på en ökad förekomst av demens jämfört med majoritetsbefolkningar. Data omfattande förekomst av demenssjukdom och dess riskfaktorer i samisk befolkning saknas helt idag. The basis for equal health care is knowledge about the needs for different groups in the society. In Sweden it is statutory that health care and health services must be equal. However, Sami people’s health care needs are substantially overlooked in research as well as in policy. As the understanding and also expression of dementia symptoms might be different among Indigenous peoples, states need to address how culture and lifestyle might affect health services provided for Indigenous people. There are for instance, studies regarding Indigenous peoples that show an increased prevalence of dementia compared with the majority populations. Still in Sweden, we lack data on dementia prevalence and its risk factors in the Sami population.Previous and dated studies have shown some differences in prevalence of diseases between the Sami people and the reference population but in general there is a lack of updated knowledge on Sami people’s health and it is particularly visible in the field of research covering the elderly and dementia