We kick off #IDC2026 with the powerful voices of people living with dementia, grounding us in the reality of their experiences. Join Ray, Robyn Rex and other soon-to-be-announced speakers, as we set the conference tone by putting people living with dementia where they belong – right at the heart.

Internationally renowned geriatrician, author and culture change advocate Dr Allen Power will inspire us with an exploration of what it truly means to place the whole person at the heart of care. Drawing on decades of clinical practice, research and global leadership in dementia care, Dr Power challenges traditional biomedical models and highlights the profound impact of honouring identity, autonomy and meaning in the lives of older people. 

He will share practical strategies for shifting from task-focused care to relationship-centred support, reframing ‘behaviours’ as expressions of unmet needs, and creating environments that enable people to thrive.  

As a young nursing student, Teun Toebes was curious to know what living in a dementia facility was really like. There was only one way to find out – join the household. What he discovered behind the locked doors led to a book (The Housemates) then a film (Human Forever), both written and made with filmmaker Jonathan de Jong.

In this compelling session, the pair invite us deeper into their experiences, introducing us to the friends Teun made and giving insight into the lessons they learned about caring for people living with dementia. 

How do we create care systems where every person is seen, valued and supported in the fullness of who they are? This dynamic panel delivers a rich conversation on what diversity and wholeness truly mean in ageing and dementia care.

Through lived experience, human rights perspectives and frontline advocacy, the panel explores how identity, culture, sexuality, language and personal history shape not only the challenges people face, but the strengths and connections that enable wellbeing, and the thriving communities that come from embracing the whole person. 

For more than a decade, the brain health movement has promised a future where prevention, early detection and proactive support dramatically reduce the impact of dementia. Yet despite unprecedented scientific progress, public awareness and investment, outcomes for many people remain stubbornly unchanged.

Why? In this provocative and insightful session, Professor Craig Ritchie, world-leading psychiatrist, researcher and global advocate for prevention-focused dementia care, examines the gap between aspiration and reality, and explores the systemic, cultural and political barriers that continue to limit progress. Challenging, evidence-informed and ultimately hopeful, this session asks the essential question: how do we turn a revolution with promise into one with impact?

What does it take to build a future where older people can live with confidence, capability and purpose? This expert panel explores the transformative potential of reablement and its role in shaping positive ageing across Australia.

Drawing on decades of clinical practice and rehabilitation expertise, as well as evidence from national and international programs, the panel will examine how reablement can shift systems from passive care to proactive support, and why this shift is essential for thriving as we age.

27-year-old humanitarian activist Teun Toebes has a mission: improve the quality of life of people living with dementia. After making the bold choice of spending 3.5 years living in a closed ward of a nursing home, it was time to take that mission to the next level.

In a 3-year journey across 4 continents and 11 countries, Teun and filmmaker Jonathan de Jong explore the many ways dementia is approached in different cultures and what we can learn for a more inclusive future. Human Forever was the opening film at the G20 conference around dementia in The Hague on 2 October 2023 and continues to influence health policy around the world.

One of the most respected and passionate voices in the field of palliative care, Dr Mannix will talk to us about death – our own, our family’s, and those of the people we care for. But she’ll also speak about life – how to know it, share it and honour it as a person faces its end.

Building on thousands of conversations she’s had with dying people, including those with cognitive impairment, she will share their wisdom so that as a sector – and a community – we will be better able to approach daunting conversations with confidence, empowering and comforting palliative patients to their very last breath.

What does it mean to die well? And how do we go about making sure ‘a good death’ is the norm more than the exception? In the aged and health care fields, where death is a familiar subject, we still find uncertainty and disagreement about how to genuinely support people at the end of life, beyond their medical or physical needs.

Join us for this deeply important and insightful conversation that examines potential solutions to complex palliative questions.

As technology rapidly advances, the promise of digital solutions in ageing and dementia care has never been greater. Yet real transformation depends on more than devices, data and innovation alone. In this thoughtful session, Dr Amadoru explores the true role of technology as one component of a holistic, person-centred approach to care and wellbeing.

Drawing on clinical expertise, research insights, and practical experience across aged care and rehabilitation, Dr Amadoru examines how technology can enhance independence, safety, connection and quality of life when it is implemented with purpose and humanity.  

Rare dementias often sit at the edges of public awareness, clinical expertise and service design and, for those living with them, the journey can be complex, isolating, and profoundly misunderstood. This panel brings together dementia specialists and people with lived experience for an illuminating conversation about the realities and needs of people affected by rare and young onset dementias.

Together, they explore the diverse presentations of rare dementias, the diagnostic challenges that many individuals face, and the critical importance of tailored supports that recognise cognitive, emotional, social and cultural dimensions of each person’s life.

What does it mean to lead, care and connect with true compassion in a world that often feels rushed, fragmented or even cruel? In this profound and energising session, Mary Freer – compassion researcher, social innovator and founder of Compassion Revolution – invites us to bring our whole hearts to our work and relationships, and discover compassion’s transformative force.

Uplifting, honest, and deeply real, this last session is an invitation to lead and live with courage, kindness, and heart.