Really proud of my friends living well with dementia at #ADI2014 Puerto Rico

29th International Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International
Dementia: Working Together for a Global Solution
1-4 May 2014, San Juan, Puerto Rico

ADI and Asociacion de Alzheimer y Desordenes Relacionados de Puerto Rico invite representatives from around the world, from medical professionals and researchers to people with dementia and carers, all with a common interest in dementia.

The conference programme – details given on this website – has streams including research, advocacy and care.

I am particularly proud of my close friend, Kate Swaffer (@KateSwaffer).

Kate is in a volunteer advocacy position, also working as a consumer on the National Advisory Consumers Committee, and the Consumer’s Dementia Research Network.

She contributes so much value to the people who are lucky to know her.

Kate lives in Adelaide, Australia. She loves cats like me. She has a formidable interest and experience in many things such as academia, media, clinical quality, and cuisine. She happens to live with first-hand experience of living with a dementia, and is a sheer joy to learn off.

Dementia Alliance International is a non-profit group of people with dementia from the USA, Canada, Australia and other countries that seek to represent, support, and educate others living with the disease, and an organization that will provide a unified voice of strength, advocacy and support in the fight for individual autonomy and improved quality of life.

Their membership is open to anyone with any type of dementia. Click here to inquire about membership. 

PHOTOS ALL BY KATE SWAFFER APART FROM THE ONES WITH KATE IN THEM

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must go in

Kate sporting a very important message for those of us who are passionate about a person-centred approach promoting living well with dementia.

This philosophy does not give undue priority to a medical model which pushes drugs which currently have very modest effects, or certain vested interests.

Living well with dementia in the English jurisdiction is a policy plank I’ve extensively reviewed for the English jurisdiction here.

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A wonderful picture of Kate and Gill (@WhoseShoes). I am very proud of them having made this global journey to Puerto Rico.

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Adorable

And here’s Gill encouraging full participation!

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The review of my book “Living well with dementia” today in Nursing Times

Thanks very much to the team at @NursingTimes for the first review of my book “Living well with dementia”.

I am hugely honoured.

 

This review was first posted on the page http://www.nursingtimes.net/opinion/book-club/living-well-with-dementia/5070460.blog?blocktitle=Nursing-Book-club&contentID=8080 in the “Book club” series of the magazine.

 

1 May, 2014

Title: Living Well with Dementia

Author: Shibley Rahman

Publisher: Radcliffe Publishing

Reviewer: Nigel Jopson, home manager, Birdscroft Nursing Home, Ashtead, Surrey

What was it like?

A meaty 300 plus pages book that attempt to cover all aspects of the dementia experience and it succeeds. It looks at the concept of living well what it is, how to measure it and how to develop services and attitudes to incorporate it. The book is up to date and relevant and has excellent sources and references. There are parts that can act as an instruction manual for good practice such as the suggestions about dealing with consent in chapter 11. A definite “cut out and keep” piece. Probably the most useful book I have read this year.

What were the highlights? 

It covers everything you are likely to encounter in an accessible and informative way. It is nice to see some comments on ward design rather than purely care home as is more common.

My favourite part was in the conclusion where the author says “…writing a book on wellbeing in dementia is an impossible task.” I believe that may be the only part where she is wrong as this book is fabulous.

Strengths & weaknesses:

An enormous amount of information presented well and user friendly. I was worried it may have been too academic but it was not. It has good references and I particularly liked the way it attempted to integrate the whole idea and encouraged the use of other sources.

Who should read it?

This book should be essential reading for anybody with any contact with people living with dementia, which realistically I suppose means everybody. It can help towards a better understanding not only of dementia but the ways that peoples’ lives can be improved and enriched with a little effort and knowledge.

Living well with dementia