At #IDC2026 this June, we’ll gather to hear globally respected experts, researchers and thinkers challenge us over some of the most pressing issues in dementia and palliative care.
The main stage will feature one of the most respected and passionate voices in the field of palliative care, Dr Kathryn Mannix from the UK, as well as pioneering dementia educator and geriatrician, Dr Allen Power from the US.
They will join other keynote speakers such as Scottish Brain Sciences CEO and founder, Prof Craig Ritchie, health tech guru Dr Sanka Amadoru and Compassion Revolution founder Mary Freer.
Panellists from a range of fields – including neurology, psychology, geriatrics and advocacy – will debate challenges around diversity, reablement, rare dementias and dying well.
Between them, they’ll share how:
and more.
Check out the whole line-up here.
To home in on the most relevant topics – with questions, discussion and opportunities to connect – our concurrent sessions provide a wide range of presentations with the latest research, case studies and new ideas.
They feature presenters from around Australia plus Canada, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Japan, England, Scotland and the US, discussing:
and many more topics.
Low-tech, high-impact: gramophone interaction as dementia therapy
This study grows out of my personal practice: sitting beside seniors with dementia, opening a gramophone, winding its motor, placing the needle into the groove, and watching how they become immersed in the sound of a well-loved 78 rpm record.
When the gramophone arrived in Japan in 1878, it was called a “speech-resurrecting machine” – a phrase that still describes what happens when a familiar voice rises from the gramophone.
The findings draw on more than 100 gramophone-based sessions in Japan and 43 sessions in Sydney. These observations extend my earlier work presented at the European Music Therapy Conference (Masuda, 2016), where gramophone listening often evoked personal stories, including memories unknown even to long-term carers. Across these encounters, the gramophone brought moments of serenity, a smile, a whispered memory, or a simple remark such as “like good old days.”
Across these encounters, the gramophone brought moments of serenity, a smile, a whispered memory, or a simple remark such as “like good old days.”
Most importantly, this method requires no musical training. Any care worker with a passion for sound — and a gramophone with a few 78 rpm records — can create meaningful moments of comfort, memory and presence.
The power of connection: First Nations ways transforming person-centred dementia practice
As aged care in Australia moves away from Western medical model and towards a person centric biopsychosocial model of care – a question arises: do any of the Western approaches fit the needs of people living with dementia? This project has explored what a First Nations approach can teach us including dementia care as a whole. By taking a First Nations approach that honours traditional ways
Our aged care staff are trained to have a rich understanding of how First Nations ways are person-centred and holistic approaches that honour body, mind, soul and spirit. By doing this we are creating an environment that goes beyond cultural compliance into a space that can inform broader dementia care frameworks through practice, as opposed to a policy down approach.
This pilot project draws on professional expertise and lived experience by First Nations people.
This pilot project draws on professional expertise and lived experience by First Nations people. It is an opportunity to re-think and reconsider the way we look at true person centred care and how this can apply to our broader approach to dementia care.
#IDC2026 is the not-to-be-missed event of the year – and there’s a 10% discount on registration available to Early Birds (until 11 March).