Background The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a serious toll on people with dementia. Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 context, policymakers and practitioners require timely, evidence-informed research to address the changing needs and challenges of people with dementia and their family care partners. Objective Using Twitter data, the objective of this study was to examine the COVID-19 impact on people with dementia from the perspective of their family members and friends. Methods Using the Twint application in Python, we collected 6243 relevant tweets over a 15-month time frame. The tweets were divided among 11 coders and analyzed using a 6-step thematic analysis process. Results Based on our analysis, 3 main themes were identified: (1) frustration and structural inequities (eg, denied dignity and inadequate supports), (2) despair due to loss (eg, isolation, decline, and death), and (3) resiliency, survival, and hope for the future. Conclusions As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and new variants emerge, people with dementia and their family care partners are facing complex challenges that require timely interventions. More specifically, tackling COVID-19 challenges requires revisiting pandemic policies and protocols to ensure equitable access to health and support services, recognizing the essential role of family care partners, and providing financial assistance and resources to help support people with dementia in the pandemic. Revaluating COVID-19 policies is critical to mitigating the pandemic’s impact on people with dementia and their family care partners.

Background Twitter has become a primary platform for public health campaigns, ranging from mental health awareness week to diabetes awareness month. However, there is a paucity of knowledge about how Twitter is being used during health campaigns, especially for Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Objective The purpose of our study was to examine dementia discourse during Canada’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in January to inform future awareness campaigns. Methods We collected 1289 relevant tweets using the Twint application in Python from January 1 to January 31, 2022. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Guided by our analysis, 4 primary themes were identified: dementia education and advocacy, fundraising and promotion, experiences of dementia, and opportunities for future actions. Conclusions Although our study identified many educational, promotional, and fundraising tweets to support dementia awareness, we also found numerous tweets with cursory messaging (ie, simply referencing January as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Canada). While these tweets promoted general awareness, they also highlight an opportunity for targeted educational content to counter stigmatizing messages and misinformation about dementia. In addition, awareness strategies partnering with diverse stakeholders (such as celebrities, social media influencers, and people living with dementia and their care partners) may play a pivotal role in fostering dementia dialogue and education. Further research is needed to develop, implement, and evaluate dementia awareness strategies on Twitter. Increased knowledge, partnerships, and research are essential to enhancing dementia awareness during Canada’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and beyond.

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is taking a serious toll on people with dementia. Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 context, policymakers and practitioners require timely, evidence-informed research to address the changing needs and challenges of people with dementia and their care partners. OBJECTIVE Using Twitter data, the objective of this study was to examine the COVID-19 impact on people with dementia and their care partners from September 8, 2020, to December 8, 2021. METHODS Using the Twint application in Python, we collected 6,243 relevant tweets over a 15-month timeframe. The tweets were divided among eleven coders and analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis process. RESULTS Based on our analysis, three main themes were identified: frustration and structural inequities (e.g., issues of overmedication, restraints, dehydration, weight loss, neglect, ageism, isolation, no physician visits, vaccination challenges, and understaffing in care facilities); despair due to loss (e.g., loss of time, cognitive, psychological, physical decline, and death); and resiliency and hope for the future. CONCLUSIONS As the COVID-19 pandemic persists and new variants emerge, people with dementia and their care partners are facing complex challenges that require timely interventions. More specifically, tackling COVID-19 challenges requires revisiting pandemic policies and protocols to ensure equitable access to health and support services, recognizing the essential role of care partners, and providing financial assistance and resources to help support people with dementia and their care partners in the pandemic. Revaluating COVID-19 policies is critical to mitigating the pandemic’s impact on people with dementia and their care partners. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable.

BACKGROUND Twitter has become a primary platform for public health campaigns, ranging from mental health awareness week to diabetes awareness month. However, there is a paucity of knowledge about how Twitter is being used during health campaigns, especially for Alzheimer’s Awareness OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to examine dementia discourse during Canada’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in January to inform future awareness campaigns. METHODS We collected 1,289 relevant tweets using the Twint application in Python from January 1 to January 31, 2022. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS Guided by our analysis, four primary themes were identified: dementia education and advocacy; fundraising and promotion; experiences of dementia; and opportunities for future actions. CONCLUSIONS Although our study identified many educational, promotional, and fundraising tweets to support dementia awareness, we also found numerous tweets with cursory messaging (i.e., simply referencing January as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Canada). While these tweets promoted general awareness, they also highlight an opportunity for targeted educational content to correct stigmatizing language (e.g., suffering and enduring) and stereotypes (e.g., depressed and wandering) against people living with dementia. In addition, awareness strategies partnering with diverse stakeholders (such as celebrities, social media influencers, and people living with dementia and their care partners) may play a pivotal role in fostering dementia dialogue and education. Further research is needed to develop, implement, and evaluate dementia awareness strategies on Twitter. Increased knowledge, partnerships, and research are essential to enhancing dementia awareness during Canada’s Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and beyond. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable.