FOCUS
ON WHAT
REALLY
MATTERS

Plenary title: Dementia doesn't exist

Prof Ritchie is the Professor of Psychiatry of Ageing at the University of Edinburgh and Director of Edinburgh Dementia Prevention 

Prof Ritchie is the Professor of Psychiatry of Ageing at the University of Edinburgh and Director of Edinburgh Dementia Prevention, having moved from his role as Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Mental Health at Imperial College London in October 2014. 

In 2016, he was appointed as Associate Director of the Edinburgh Clinic Research Facility (CRF) and elected Chair of the Scottish Dementia Research Consortium (SDRC) in 2017.

He has driven forward on his commitment to promote and grow that consortium to assist Scotland and Scottish based researchers from all over the world to achieve its objectives and theirs. His primary research interest is in the maintenance of brain health in mid-life to mitigate the risks of initiation and progression of degenerative brain diseases that may lead to dementia. To achieve this he leads as Chief Investigator on the EPAD (European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia) Programme, the PREVENT Dementia Project and the Scottish Brain Health Register. 

Most recently he was appointed as an Associate Director of DPUK2 (Dementias Platform UK).

Plenary title: A spot of outrage in an era of #dementia

Professor June Andrews is an authoritative dementia expert with a focus on improving the public understanding of dementia.

Most of her clinical career has been working with older people and people with mental health problems. For ten years she was the director of a university team that supported people with dementia and their caregivers with information, consultancy and training based on research evidence about what is practical and makes a difference. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, and has been recognised as one of the most influential clinicians in the UK.

As a professor emeritus she now advises the Dementia Services Development Trust, a charity that focuses on disrupting popular misconceptions about dementia. Her book, Dementia; what you need to know, and its UK version, Dementia the One Stop Guide have been described as, “Exactly what is needed. Sensible advice from someone who knows what she is talking about.”

Her blog posts are sometimes controversial, but her independence means that she can speak out when others aren’t able. She says, “The dementia field these days is crowded, and frequently competitive or even combative. Everyone has the right to be heard. Even me.”

Panel session: Design showcase

Dr Stephen Judd has more than 25 years’ experience in the health care and information technology industries.

Stephen has been Chief Executive of HammondCare since 1995.

When he began, HammondCare served fewer than 250 clients and had an annual revenue of $8 million. Today, it provides care to more than 25,000 people with an annual revenue of $303 million. He has written and contributed to books on dementia care, aged care design and the role of charities. Stephen has served on numerous government and industry committees and is currently a member of the Advisory Council of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and the Aged Care Standards Review Technical Advisory Group.

Plenary title: Dementia is beautiful

Mary Jane 'MJ' Grant is a native user of American Sign Language (ASL) and grew up with a passion for connecting with others through skillful, nuanced communication.

Mary Jane 'MJ' Grant, a native of the small town of Sanford, Maine, was born and raised by two Deaf parents. As a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) she is a native user of American Sign Language (ASL) and grew up with a passion for connecting with others through skillful, nuanced communication. Her joyful, intuitive nature and instinctual resilience led to a career as a professional sign language interpreter.  MJ has worked with Deaf communities across the U.S. and has taught interpreting at the University of Southern Maine. She continues to manage her business, Mary Jane Grant Sign Language Interpreting Services, in between moments of happy chaos at home care-giving for two moms with dementia (one Deaf and one non-Deaf), four children and a husband. MJ’s real gift, however, is translating and interpreting the human heart. It is her mission to open her own heart and create space for others to do the same.

Concurrent session: The Barber Helping Men with Dementia

Lenny White is the world’s first dementia-friendly barber 

Watch Lenny's video abstract

Biography

Lenny White is the world’s first dementia friendly barber who offers a mobile pop-up barber shop for men in care homes, day centres, hospitals and their own homes, who are living with dementia.

Abstract

Past personal experience working within care homes had shown there was no service like this provided for the men. I wanted a safe but familiar environment where I could get all the men together in an old time barber shop setting, which allowed these men to have ‘man time’ together just like the old days. Past personal experience working within care homes had shown there was no service like this provided for the men. I wanted a safe but familiar environment where I could get all the men together in an old time barber shop setting, which allowed these men to have ‘man time’ together just like the old days. I create a sensory experience by incorporating things such as music on an old-fashioned juke box, a traditional barber pole, old familiar smells such as lemon cologne, brut and a touch of old spice. This also allows for the men and myself to reminiscence over times gone by and their personal life stories. I also include some modern day technology such as robotic pet therapy and silent disco. I have challenged the traditional hairdressing services in care-homes by creating a unique concept which is more than a haircut. I believe it is about the overall experience with a little bit of fun along the way.

Panel session: Design showcase

Emi Kiyota is the founder and director of Ibasho, an organization that facilitates the co-creation with elders of socially integrated, sustainable communities that value their elders.

Panel session: #BPSD a long and winding road

Prof Kurrle is a geriatrician at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital and leads a Dementia Clinical Drug Trials Unit. 

Watch Susan's video abstract

Biography:

Susan Kurrle is a geriatrician and Current Chair in Health Care of Older People at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, and Geriatrician and Clinical Director, Division of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Health Service, Hornsby, NSW, Australia.

Abstract

In the 1990’s, patients with Huntington’s disease were poorly treated, often locked up in psychiatric hospitals. Topaz was successful in creating a long term care Huntington center, that has 72 inpatients and over 100 ambulant patients. The care that is given is multidisciplinary and covers a wide range of expertise including counseling, and management of behavioural, psychiatric and neurological symptoms. The younger age combined with the complex problems of the patients has challenged us to be innovative in our therapies and approach.

Panel session: Design showcase

David is currently a Director of Townscape Design Initiatives – a small company providing specific townscape design advice in the architectural field based in Sevenoaks in Kent.

David joined what is now Pozzoni Architecture Limited in 1984 after 4 years of previous experience in Local Authority and Private Practice. He was made a Partner in 1989, was Senior Partner from 2007 to 2015 and Chairman from 2015 to 2018. The 70-strong Practice remains based in Altrincham, South Manchester and in London and specialises in several sectors of the built environment especially social housing, older persons’ schemes, leisure centres, health, schools and universities.

He is also a Non-Executive Director for Open Solutions Limited. They are a private rented landlord and developer under the umbrella of the registered social landlord Halton Housing Trust based in Widnes, Cheshire.

Carers in conversation: Tomorrow might be better

Tully is a social media influencer, journalist and podcast host. 

Tully was 14 years old when her mother was diagnosed with younger onset dementia. Tully speaks openly about the impact the diagnosis, dementia, and her care had on her and the family.

Panel session: #BPSD a long and winding road

A/Prof Macfarlane is Head of Clinical Services for Dementia Support Australia.

A/Prof Macfarlane is Head of Clinical Services for Dementia Support Australia. A geriatric psychiatrist by training, he is the current Binational Chair of the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age for the RANZCP. Steve spent 11 years working as the Director of two metropolitan public aged psychiatry services in Melbourne prior to  helping establish the Severe Behaviour Response Team in 2015, and has been intimately involved in the establishment of national DBMAS and SDCP programs. He has worked with DSA since its establishment.

Carers in conversation: Tomorrow might be better

Angela Raguz is General Manager of Residential Care, HammondCare.

Angela is regarded as an Australian leader in dementia care, both in residential and ‘at home’ care. In her role as General Manager, Residential Care, HammondCare, she oversees all HammondCare’s residential aged care services, and is involved in the planning and start-up of new residential services. HammondCare now provides care for more than 1,951 people in residential services across sites in NSW and Victoria.

Angela has worked in the aged care industry for 25 years and is a Registered Nurse. During this time she has managed both dementia specific and general residential aged care facilities. In 2007, she completed an MBA through Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

Panel session: Design showcase

Monique Wijnties is an expert in healthcare, housing and welfare in The Netherlands. 

Biography:

Monique Wijnties is an expert in healthcare, housing and welfare in The Netherlands. She is passionate about finding ways to realize what is meaningful to the people we care for. Studying inspiring examples in practice and sharing the insights is therefore one of the key elements in her work.Monique Wijnties is an expert in healthcare, housing and welfare in The Netherlands. She is passionate about finding ways to realize what is meaningful to the people we care for. Studying inspiring examples in practice and sharing the insights is therefore one of the key elements in her work.

As a policy officer at the Dutch Association for Supervisory Bodies in Care and Welfare institutions (NVTZ) she focusses on the role and contribution of the supervisory boards. Besides her work at the NVTZ, she designs tailor-made study tours to enable management and professionals to get inspired by practices that are different, alive and innovative and meet colleagues willing to share their experience and expertise.

Previously she worked at a leading expertise centre on housing and care. Before that she was an advisor to the management of a care organization on the design of new facilities. In that role she was responsible for the development of new group homes for people with severe disabilities.

She was initiator of ‘Zorg in Woningen' an online application for designing (care)homes with insight in the required space for personal care. Also, she was one of the authors of the book ‘Design for Aging - International Case Studies of Building and Program’.