| 228 Impact Paragraph The findings described in this thesis are relevant for people with dementia, informal caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers. The main findings will be discussed followed by the scientific impact, societal impact and dissemination activities undertaken. Main findings This thesis describes experiences from diagnosis and post-diagnostic support and integrates the perspectives of people with dementia, informal caregivers and healthcare professionals. For people with dementia, the social network emerged as an important source of support in making decisions on diagnostic testing and coming to terms with dementia. Perceptions of post-diagnostic support differ between people with dementia and informal caregivers, highlighting differing priorities. For informal caregivers, supporting the person with dementia sometimes negatively affects their mental health and wellbeing. This was sometimes worsened by negative experiences with accessing and using care. Specifically, navigating healthcare systems was deemed complex. High-quality information and signposting services are crucial in supporting informal caregivers. Healthcare professionals express dissatisfaction with the transition between diagnosis and support and healthcare professionals involved in both diagnosis and post-diagnostic support demonstrate a greater capacity to bridge this gap. Overall, the thesis underscores the need for tailored information provision and support to enable people with dementia and informal caregivers to live well with dementia. Scientific impact This thesis adds to our increased understanding of how people with dementia and informal caregivers can be supported to live well with dementia. It offers several implications and recommendations for dementia research. First, this thesis developed an innovative approach for conducting qualitative research with people with dementia. This method was deemed feasible, meaningful and manageable for people with dementia. The published article provides all materials needed such as the interview guide and materials used by participants. Researchers can use these as inspiration to further aid the development of creative approaches in qualitative research that enable
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw