Abstract
Rationale, aims and objectives: Much emphasis has been placed on the lack of awareness and understanding of dementia that exist within the ethnic minority groups in the UK. There has been a continual dearth of research, however, among the ethnic minority carers about reducing barriers to accessing services and optimising engagements with religiously tailored interventions. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study that examined the barriers to healthcare service use in Bangladeshi ethnic minority population. Method: This analysis piece draws on findings from a doctoral level research study of understanding dementia among the Bangladeshi community in England. The doctoral research which informed this paper was gathered in two distinct phases: 1) focus group discussions and 2) semi-structured qualitative interviews. All data were audio-recorded and analysed using thematic analysis. The NVivo qualitative software was utilised to simplify the thematic analysis, including transcribing, coding, and interpreting the emergent themes. Results: Some barriers arose out of their religious and cultural beliefs and practices, other barriers related to the complexity of the healthcare system. Gender based caregiving interferes with their religious ideologies while religiously appropriate services are of precise importance when investigating access to services. Conclusion: The findings provide understanding into the development of seeking healthcare services within the mainstream services and it may serve to give a useful direction to future enquiry.
