Abstract Book of the 2nd Global Conference on Aging and Gerontology
Year: 2025
DOI:
[PDF]
Beyond the Sirens: Adapting Dementia Care Strategies in War-Affected Regions.
Dana Peer
ABSTRACT:
The intersection of dementia care and wartime conditions presents unique challenges for patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems. This presentation examines the unprecedented situation faced by dementia patients and their caregivers in southern Israel following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and subsequent conflict. (No political issues will be addressed.)Despite previous experiences with rocket fire, the prolonged nature and intensity of the recent conflict created new and complex caregiving dilemmas. Key issues include: evacuation decisions: balancing safety with the need for familiar environments, caregiver instability: managing sudden departure of foreign caregivers, shelter compliance: strategies for ensuring shelter use during alarms, continuity of care: maintaining routines and medical care amid disruption and addressing heightened anxiety in both patients and caregivers. This study draws on data collected in interviews with family caregivers and healthcare professionals, case studies of specific patient-caregiver experiences and analysis of support service records and emergency response logs. The presentation will provide insights into adaptive caregiving strategies in conflict zones, the impact of prolonged stress on dementia progression, best practices for emergency preparedness in dementia care and the role of community and professional support networks. By examining these lived experiences, this presentation offers valuable lessons for gerontologists, healthcare providers, and policymakers worldwide. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge on crisis management in dementia care and provides practical guidance for adapting care strategies in extreme circumstances, with potential applications beyond conflict zones to other types of emergencies affecting vulnerable older adults.
keywords: dementia, wartime, lived experiences, adapting care