People often describe me as Mary Poppins as I have huge supplies of pictures, props and charity shop treasures which I use in my work. A favourite of these is a pair of small, red, patent leather children’s party shoes. Like Dorothy’s shoes in the Wizard of Oz, they seem to possess a certain magic,...
On March 22 this year, our inboxes were filled with emails regarding the Alzheimer Society’s recent advertising campaign, The Long Goodbye. These emails conveyed a range of emotions, including astonishment, shock, upset, and feelings of betrayal. In response, the directors of Dementia Community addressed these concerns by posting the following statement on our website and...
Responses to The Long Goodbye. Journal of Dementia Care 32(3) 11-13. The Long Goodbye, the Alzheimer’s Society’s recent video advert, has caused dismay and distress among our Dementia Community. Our Board responded with a statement of concern (above) and invited comments. These can be read in full and unedited on our website; below is a...
Litherland R, Milton S, Murphy D (2024) Is this ‘The unvarnished truth’? Journal of Dementia Care 32(3) 11-13. The Long Goodbye has provoked strong reactions (see Comment and collected responses HERE). Here is the response from Innovations in Dementia, by directors Rachael Litherland, Steve Milton and Damian Murphy It has been a few weeks now...
By Dr Richard Hawkins, Editor-in-chief, Journal of Dementia Care People are the rock upon which all organisations are built. The right people will enable almost every organisation, however badly structured, to succeed whereas however well structured an organisation is, without the right people it will struggle. But who are the right people? The point which...
By Sue Benson Welcome to this first issue of 2024, a year in which we hope the journal and our Dementia Community will grow and thrive. The energy and warmth we felt at last year’s UK Dementia Congress gives us hope that we can work together to improve services and the experience of all involved...
It was our 17th UK Dementia Congress (UKDC) early in November and sadly for me my last. There has always been a special atmosphere at UKDC, quite unlike that of other conferences I’ve attended, and this year I found myself wondering what accounted for it. I’m stepping down from the editorship of this journal after...
By Mark Ivory, Editor, Journal of Dementia Care As we went to press we were still expecting the interim report on the Major Conditions Strategy, originally slated for early summer, that health secretary Steve Barclay heralded to most people’s surprise at the start of the year. It will contain the government’s new strategy for dementia...
By Dr Richard Hawkins, Editor-in-Chief, JDC 30 years. It is 30 years since the Journal of Dementia Care (JDC) was launched. 30 years can seem a long time – or a short time – depending on one’s perspective. If you had said to us at launch that Sue Benson and I would still be involved so far...
Jolley D (2023) A combined Major Conditions Strategy – right and wrong. Journal of Dementia Care 31(2) 13 Instead of its promised 10-year plan for dementia alone, the government now intends to publish a Major Conditions Strategy in which dementia is just one of six conditions covered. David Jolley considers this new approach, proposing that...