In the past, Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia were poorly understood and often considered a natural part of aging rather than medical conditions. Effective treatments were limited, leading to hopelessness for caregivers and patients, as treatments focused on managing symptoms rather than addressing the causes. There was a lack of resources, but as the image shows, Alzheimer's is not just a normal aging symptom—the left shows a healthy brain and the right shows a brain affected by Alzheimer's.

To further explore dementia, a stakeholder map was created to identify those closely connected to dementia patients.

1. Innermost Tier (Closest to Patients):

   • Patients: Individuals directly affected by dementia.

   • Caretakers: Those who provide day-to-day care for dementia patients.

   • Family: Immediate family members involved in the patient's care.

   • Medical Professionals: Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers directly treating dementia patients.

2. Middle Tier (Supporting Stakeholders):

   • Hospitals: Healthcare institutions where patients receive medical treatment and care.

   • Researchers: Individuals conducting studies to understand dementia and develop treatments.

3. Outer Tier (Broader Involvement):

   • Government: Policymakers and agencies that create regulations and provide funding for dementia research and care.

   • Universities: Academic institutions conducting research and educating future healthcare professionals.

   • DMV: Departments of Motor Vehicles, involved in decisions related to driving cessation for dementia patients.

The stakeholders are organized from those most directly involved with patients (innermost tier) to those with a broader but still significant impact (outer tier). The map also differentiates between stakeholders inside the organization and those outside, indicating their level of direct engagement with the dementia care process.

Despite the well-recognized challenges that people with dementia and their family carers face in transitioning to non-driving, few interventions and resources exist to support them.

Although dementia is a serious and recognized disease, it is often neglected. A 2020 study titled "The Paradox of Dementia and Driving Cessation: 'It’s a Hot Topic,' 'Always on the Back Burner'" examined why this issue, despite its significance, is not being fully addressed.

In their report, they discussed four reasons why people avoid addressing dementia and Alzheimer's. First, there's a reluctance to discuss driving cessation, with many assuming that if there's no car accident, there's no problem. Second, a lack of awareness makes it difficult for both patients and others to recognize and address the issue, leading some to avoid it entirely by placing patients in nursing homes. Third, system-level inconsistencies and conflicting beliefs among primary caretakers create confusion about how to handle patients, especially regarding their driving licenses. Lastly, there is a lack of proper driving assessments and alternative transportation options. An example includes my grandmother being mistakenly passed on a driving test at the DMV. There's a general reluctance to discuss the need for supervision, despite the loss of independence that comes with dementia.

Many aspects show that society is not built for people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s and is not willing to support it. It was time to take a look at it from a MacGuffin lens.

I now present Nostalgia, a MacGuffin project.