At the start of 2016, WYLD received our first commissioned project. We were asked by the UK Department of Health to undertake a scoping review of symbols used for Dementia Friendly initiatives, with the aim of understanding attitudes towards and requirements for the development of a universally recognised symbol. The idea for a universal symbol for Dementia Friendly products, services and communities was put forward during the WYLD workshop held in Japan in 2014 and then presented to the World Dementia Council at their meeting in Geneva in March 2015.
Members of the WYLD steering group Clare Walton, Laura Booi, Kristine Newman and William Hu undertook the project during March and April 2016, receiving input from 16 different countries. Although fifteen of the countries surveyed already have a Dementia Friendly initiative in place, the idea of a global symbol or symbolic element that can be shared across counties and cultures was positively received by all representatives. Based on the perspectives we collected, our report puts forward a number of recommendations to further advance the concept of a global Dementia Friendly symbol.
Download the full report here: WYLD global dementia symbol report
