Discovering the memory thief: MOOC participants’ personal experiences of dementia

Dementia is one of the greatest social issues of our time. There are brief explorations of experiences of dementia in the literature, however this study seeks to further explore the experiences of the general public in relation to dementia. This study aimed to characterise experiences of dementia in the general population. This characterisation was achieved by developing and opening a massive open online course on dementia, which collected information from participants who responded to the question “share your own personal experience of dementia”. This data was then analysed by two researchers using Framework Analysis. Four themes (the condition, caring, perception, and control) and indicative quotes are presented and discussed. Experiences of dementia are positive as well as negative. Findings update understanding of these experiences and demonstrate new insights.