Senile dementia-related knowledge and attitudes of the general population in the Hualien area

Objective: To explore senile dementia-related knowledge and attitudes of the general population in the Hualien area of Taiwan. Materials and Methods: For convenience of sampling, this study adopted 200 samples from qualified citizens in the Hualien area. A structured questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was divided into three parts including, "characteristics of the samples", "dementia-related knowledge inventory", and "dementia-related attitude inventory". Results: The percentage of correct answers about dementia-related, knowledge was 73.22%, and the average score was 23.43 (SD=5.69). The lowest scores on knowledge inventory were on the following items: (1) Patients with serious dementia are eligible for a "Serious Illness Card." (2) Isolating dementia patients in a separate room is inappropriate. (3) Dementia is not a normal aging process. Attitudes toward dementia patient were slightly positive. Conclusions: This study is helpful for nurses to understand dementia knowledge and attitudes of the general population. It is also a useful reference to carry out dementia-related educational programs so that dementia patients can receive a better quality of care and live their lives with dignity.