Innovations in Dementia Policies and Services

Background:
Innovations in dementia policies and services are discussed and reported much less frequently in the dementia literature than innovations in clinical care, diagnostics, treatment, or basic science. Many individuals and organizations globally are developing innovative approaches to better support people living with dementia; this issue will document some of these. Variations in policy approaches and regulatory environments, as well as unique sociocultural contexts across the globe, offer opportunities to showcase innovative programs, networks, and policies that make non-clinical services and supports available and accessible to people living with dementia and their care partners. This issue will welcome reports on both completed projects and ideas for innovations that may better serve and support these communities. Frontiers in Dementia has a track record of publishing in areas relevant to the proposed issue.
There are many topics that might be addressed in this issue (see “Scope” below). With the relatively recent adoption of national plans for dementia (NPD) by many countries, one topical area includes descriptions of NPDs, related policies (including financing and access), risk- reduction, and resulting programs and services. Similarly, advances in dementia-friendly technology for use by people living with dementia and their care partners will be a focus.
Networks of dementia advocates, researchers, people with lived experience, and others interested in dementia (such as artists and communicators) are emerging, and offer excellent illustrations of community engagement and collaborations. Innovations in information sharing through new ways of linking health and social service professionals and community members to existing community resources is another topic.

Goal:
Our overarching goal for the relevant communities and fields of research is to showcase innovative practices for dementia services that go beyond traditional services and supports for people living with dementia to highlight new innovative approaches, as well as innovations in national or regional policies that are transferable across jurisdictions. This issue will center these topics and the editors will invite authors to share their evidence from research as well as perspectives and commentaries on developing topics and innovations. We seek to receive a range of papers that offer perspectives from as many regions of the globe as possible.
What we hope to achieve is to feature a breadth of authors presenting work related to this research topic across a diversity of perspectives, geographic regions, settings, and disciplines, that collectively will offer a unique issue of the journal that compiles an exciting set of manuscripts on innovative policies, programs and services for people living with dementia.

Scope and Information for Authors:
This issue is focused on examples from the social sciences, public health, and health services research that emphasize innovations in policies, programs, and services. The emphasis should not be on clinical care, bioscience/clinical research, or diagnostics unless describing a person-centered population focus. Specific themes could include (all relevant to dementia):

• Policy development, implementation, and modification
• Engagement of people with lived experience of dementia
• Care partner supports
• Nature-based programs
• Dementia-friendly communities
• NPDs
• Population-based innovations (e.g., young onset, rural, cultural)
• Arts-based innovations
• Innovations in financing
• Overcoming barriers to access
• Day or other tourism-related programs
• Dementia-friendly technology
• Public education/awareness

This Research Topic accepts the following article types:

Original Research
Systematic Review
Review
Mini Review
Perspective
Brief Research Report
Opinion

Prospective authors are encouraged to consult the Frontiers website to determine the most appropriate article type for their submission.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Dementia policy, Innovative services, Dementia care, Community engagement, Dementia-friendly initiatives, Care partner support, social and policy innovation, dementia-friendly technology, Population-based innovation, Public education and awareness

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.