Oli Smithson

I work for IMPACT, the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care, and my Fellowship aims to improve how rural communities care for people affected by dementia by learning from Japan.

I grew up in a West Country village and began my career as a support worker in an isolated rural care home. While I've seen the challenges - social isolation, older populations and overstretched services - it's my experiences of joy, love, purpose and connection in rural care that motivate my Fellowship. Rural communities can be excellent places for people with dementia to live if we make more of their unique strengths: tight-knit populations, pride in place and landscape, communal spaces and resources, and the potential to benefit from remote care technology.

I have chosen to visit Japan, as its rapid ageing and rural depopulation have driven innovative approaches to dementia care. I will explore how rural communities use the concept of 'chiiki-ryoku', or community strengths, to bring together local people, community assets and technology to strengthen dementia care, then apply my findings to dementia services in the UK.