Personhood has provided a lens for conceptualising dementia practice and research for
over ten years. It has afforded the rationale and language for improving care and for raising
consciousness about the status of people with dementia, as people, intrinsically worthy of
respect. However, because personhood is essentially an apolitical concept concerned with
psychosocial issues it may be too limiting. Citizenship provides another possible lens.
Citizenship is used in cognate disciplines to promote the status of discriminated groups of …