PlenarY SPEAKERS

PANEL

First Nations and dementia: A voice for spiritual and cultural well-being

Nova Peris OAM OLY is an Olympic Gold Medalist, a Commonwealth Champion, and the first Aboriginal woman elected to Federal Parliament.

With an astonishing sporting career representing Australia across the globe in two different sports, Peris was a key component of both the Australian Women's field hockey team and the Australian Track & Field team.

In the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Peris became the first Aboriginal person and first Northern Territorian to win an Olympic Gold Medal playing for the Hockeyroos that defeated South Korea 3-1.

Transitioning her hockey career to sprinting, Peris competed in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, winning two more gold medals in the 200m & 4x100 relay and making her the only person to win Olympic and Commonwealth Gold in different sports! Nova went on to make the Track and Field Team for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and was the first of 10,000 Olympic flame torchbearers at the iconic Uluru, where she ran barefoot with the flame. Nova competed in the individual 400m, making the semi-finals, and finishing 4th in the 4x400m relay finals. Nova is the only person on the planet to make back-to-back Summer Olympic Games finals and consecutive Olympics in different sports!

Following a successful athletic career, Nova then became the first Aboriginal woman to sit in the Federal Parliament as Senator for the Northern Territory.

During her time in Parliament, Peris served in multiple Senate Committees, including the Education and Employment References Committee, Finance and Public Administration Legislation and References Committees, and the Senate Community Affairs Legislation and References Committees. Her political journey as a Senator took her all around the country where she gained a wealth of knowledge across many different issues, and enjoyed being a pivotal part of the solutions to those issues. She was also madam acting deputy president of the Senate.

Nova has now started her own charity, the Nova Peris Foundation, and recently had her bronze statue unveiled in Federation Square, Melbourne.

PLENARY

Letting go bravely with love

Jason van Genderen has been called a 'Creative Agitator', who likes to stand on the edge of traditional thinking and crumble the edges liberally. Jason is a Director of Treehouse Creative, Oma’s Applesauce Productions and Founder of his new storytelling training arm, StickyStory.Co. We met Jason in our DCR3 virtual session last year and this short snippet left us wanting to learn more. We chose Jason because he is on a mission to advocate for the power of digital storytelling, bringing stories to life for people who are impacted by dementia. His feature length documentary – Everybody’s Oma – is slated for release this year.

Maggie Beer is not just an Australian food icon, she’s an essential ingredient in any discussion about food and flavour. Of all the highlights of Maggie’s career, it was being named Senior Australian of the Year in 2010 that led her on a new pathway. After giving a keynote speech at an Annual Conference of Aged Care Homes, Maggie visited many Homes and saw in so many a desperate need for change in the food and dining experience in the aged sector.

In April 2014 Maggie established the Maggie Beer Foundation with a Board of Industry Leaders, Professors, and Health Advisors, all with the belief that beautiful, seasonal food that gives pleasure and goodness is the key to wellbeing of residents in Aged Care.

From the outset, the Foundation’s strategy has been to advocate, educate, facilitate research, and share the latest knowledge and skills required with the Cooks and Chefs who are able to do so much to change the lives of the residents in their care.

Maggie, with her Foundation, has conducted educational Masterclasses for Cooks and Chefs Australia-wide and since the first in 2015 have influenced over 350 cooks and chefs, and over 160 CEO’s and Managers.

In 2021, The Maggie Beer Foundation in partnership with Altura Learning concluded filming 11 online education modules for cooks and chefs working in aged care, which are due for release in late March 2022.

Maggie feels it is our responsibility as a society to ensure health and happiness for every older Australian and that flavourful, nutritious, seasonal foods that bring pleasure and joy are a key to quality of life.

PANEL

First Nations and dementia: A voice for spiritual and cultural well-being

Dr. Makarena Dudley, (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngati Kahu), is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland. She has worked as a clinician for 20 years. She is currently involved in a number of research projects involving Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa, and mate wareware (dementia). Her projects include the development of a Māori-appropriate diagnostic tool, a mate wareware website, and a mate wareware app. She is also leading the adaptation of Cognitive Stimulation Training to be culturally appropriate with Māori.

Makarena is passionate about working with kaumātua/pakeke (elders) to help minimise the impact of mate wareware in a rapidly growing older population.

Makarena also supervises Māori students who are conducting research in other areas of Māori health.

PANEL

First Nations and dementia: A voice for spiritual and cultural well-being

Dr. Wendy Hulko is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Thompson Rivers University, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. She has worked with older adults for over 25 years as a care aide, hospital social worker, government policy advisor, educator, and researcher.

Wendy holds a BAHon in Sociology and Spanish (Trent University), Master of Social Work (University of Toronto), and PhD in Sociology and Social Policy (University of Stirling) and is affiliated with the Centre for Research on Personhood in Dementia at the University of British Columbia and the Critical Dementia Studies Network.

As an activist-academic and settler accomplice, Wendy conducts interdisciplinary research on aging, health, and dementia with equity-seeking groups, including Secwepemc Elders, racialized older adults, sexual and gender minorities, and rural residents, and often works in partnership with practitioners and decision-makers from the local health authority. Her current research projects include: Aging, Culture, Dementia, Complexity (ACDC): Developing and piloting an educational program for health care professionals (2021-2022); and Aging in Place in Rural and Remote Regions (APR3): A multi-case study of health care repositioning (2020-2022).

Dr. Hulko has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and edited books. She is co-editor of Indigenous peoples and dementia: New understandings of memory loss and memory care, published by UBC Press in 2019, and co-author of the 2020 Routledge Press book Gerontological social work in action: Anti-oppressive practice with older adults, their families, and communities.

PLENARY

Prevent dementia: Prof Craig Ritchie presents the latest global thinking and research

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.

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

PANEL

Brave new world in the age of AI technology

John Sutherland is currently Chief Information Officer at HammondCare, a not-for-profit aged care provider focussing on complex dementia and palliative care. Prior to this, he was CIO at Ramsay Health Care and Cochlear, two of Australia’s most successful international healthcare success stories.

John has over 30 years’ experience in various technology roles across a range of industries in Australia and the UK. He is a Board member and advisor, and supporter of the University sector where he is a guest lecturer and mentor to students transitioning to industry.

John holds a Master’s degree in Information Technology Management, Bachelor of Computer Science and Diploma in Electronics Engineering. He is committed to continuous learning having completed many executive development programmes at Harvard Business School, IMD Business School, the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) and Thunderbird School of Global Management.

John was recognised as the Australian Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Year in 2020, acknowledging his role leading Ramsay Health Care through the COVID-19 pandemic response. In 2022 he made the Global CIO 100 list and became an Alumni Laurate of the Australian National University – his alma mater – at the 50th year celebrations of the School of Computer Science at the ANU. He served the nation for 10 years in the Australian Army Reserve and continues an association with the veteran community through the RSL Pipes and Drums, where he is a Piper.

PANEL

Brave new world in the age of AI technology

Tom Stevens is CEO and co-founder of Tombot, Inc.

Tombot was inspired by Tom’s mother. After she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia, Tom had to take away her dog for safety reasons. That heart-wrenching event launched him on a multi-year research and education journey, learning that his mother’s story is not unique: millions of seniors cannot safely or practically care for a live animal due to a health adversity. Tom co-founded Tombot in 2017 to help these people.

Prior to Tombot, Tom and his two partners built ACT Litigation Services into one of the world’s leading e-discovery companies. ACT was successfully acquired in 2011 by DiscoverReady. Tom began his career with sales positions at Corona Data Systems and Novell, Inc. Tom has a Master’s of Science in Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA.

Married with three children, Tom attempts to play music with his vastly more talented wife, and enjoys playing golf, tennis, and coaching youth sports.

PLENARY

Hope in a world of goodbyes: Why palliative care in dementia is unique

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.

PLENARY

Hope in a world of goodbyes: Why palliative care in dementia is unique

Mike Baird was appointed CEO, HammondCare, in September 2020.

Prior to commencing at HammondCare, Mike was a member of the National Australia Bank executive leadership team from 2017 to 2020 as Chief Customer Officer – Corporate and Institutional Banking (2017-2018) and Chief Customer Officer – Consumer Banking (2018 – 2020). In these roles, Mike led NAB’s global institutional business, the retail banking business, including more than 700 branches, 7000 bankers, broker partnerships, direct banking, and the digital bank, UBank.

Prior to this, Mike was the 44th Premier of New South Wales, representing the electoral district of Manly in the NSW Legislative Assembly. Mike entered NSW state politics in 2007. He held several shadow ministries before serving as Treasurer from 2011 to 2014, and then as Premier from 2014 to January 2017, when he retired from politics.

During his time as both NSW Premier and Treasurer, the State recorded the fastest economic growth rate in the country, the lowest jobless rate, undertook the largest infrastructure program in the State’s history, delivered record level building approvals, and the budget went into surplus whilst retaining its AAA credit rating.

In 1989, Mike started his career as a NAB graduate in Sydney. He went on to hold senior roles in NAB’s Corporate and Institutional Banking team in Australia and London, including Global Relationship Manager and Head of Debt Capital Market Originations based in London.

He was a Senior Corporate Finance Manager at Deutsche Bank and Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking at HSBC in Australia and New Zealand.

Mike is passionate about family, sport and looking after community’s most vulnerable. He is Chairman of the Australian Business Growth Fund and sits on the Boards of Surfing NSW and Cricket Australia. He is also an ambassador for Bear Cottage and Southern Youth Family Services.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from the University of Sydney and a DipCS Regent College Vancouver, Canada. He has also completed executive management courses at Harvard and Duke University.

MASTERCLASS

What does it mean to be present with someone?: Time, care, love and homefullness

Professor John Swinton is a Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care at the University of Aberdeen.

He is an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, and worked for more than a decade as a registered nurse specialising in psychiatry and learning disabilities. He also worked for a number of years as a hospital and community chaplain.

Prof Swinton serves as an honorary professor and researcher at Aberdeen’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Nursing. In 2004, he founded the University of Aberdeen’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability and in 2014 he founded the University’s Centre for Ministry Studies.

Prof Swinton has published widely in the areas of disability theology, spirituality and health, qualitative research, and mental health. He is the author of Dementia: Living in the Memories of God.

PANEL

When behaviour changes our terra firma: What has the Australian experience taught us?

Kate’s interest in aged care developed at a young age, with a mother working in the industry and grandparents living with dementia. This interest led Kate to focus her career in aged care specialising in the care of people living with dementia. Throughout her 16 years in aged care/acute care leadership positions, Kate has worked alongside other health professionals to embed good dementia care into practice.

A highlight of Kate’s career has been obtaining the role of Project Manager of the Specialist Dementia Care Program at Anglicare Southern Queensland. This role gave her the opportunity to lead the implementation of research into everyday care and try different approaches to staff recruitment and development. Kate has since been appointed the Group Manager of Residential Aged Care and Retirement Living for Anglicare Southern Queensland.

PANEL

When behaviour changes our terra firma: What has the Australian experience taught us?

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

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.

PANEL

When behaviour changes our terra firma: What has the Australian experience taught us?

Robert is Assistant Secretary responsible for the Dementia, Diversity and Design branch at the Commonwealth Department of Health. Robert and his team manage a number of Commonwealth programs to support people living with dementia and their carers (both informal and professional). These programs include the Specialist Dementia Care Program.