Musings ‘through the fog’

A new compilation of the thoughts and poetry of Peter Berry has been published in book form under the title Walk with Me: Musings Through the Dementia Fog.  Published on Amazon in December (£10.99), Peter’s words were captured by his friend Deb Bunt, who has spent the last two years jotting them down. The book … Read more

Reimagine dementia

People affected by dementia are joining forces across the globe in a campaign for change called “Let’s Reimagine”, launched by the pressure group Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition for Justice. It aims to challenge the “biomedical and institutional approaches” to dementia policy and practice, which the international coalition says lead to fear, stigma and hopelessness. … Read more

Seeing the same GP

Seeing the same GP on every visit to the surgery significantly lowers health complications and emergency hospital admissions for people with dementia, an Exeter University study has found. More than 9,000 patient records were examined and they showed that fewer medicines were prescribed when the person with dementia was consistently seen by the same GP … Read more

DEEP 10th anniversary

DEEP – the UK network of dementia voices – will be “shouting out loud and proud” this year to celebrate its 10th anniversary. There will be an online festival on 5 – 9 December with a wide range of sessions, including a mixture of fun and serious discussions, practical activities and the showcasing of DEEP … Read more

Care home research

In what is believed to be a care sector “first”, Dr Isabelle Latham has been appointed researcher in residence by Hallmark Care Homes.  Dr Latham moves to her new role from Worcester University’s Association for Dementia Studies (ADS), where she had a lengthy career as a senior lecturer.  Hallmark is a family-run business with 19 … Read more

APPG on social care needs

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia is investigating what people affected by dementia want from the social care workforce so that they can live well.  MPs and Peers on the APPG are particularly keen to explore specialist needs of people with dementia and what the barriers are to accessing care tailored to these needs. … Read more

Care home visiting

Visiting restrictions for care homes in England have been relaxed by the government as the Covid omicron wave has begun to pass. Since Monday (31 January) there has been no limit on numbers of visitors and self-isolation periods for residents who test positive have been cut from 14 days to 10 days with further reductions … Read more

Young onset dementia

Best-selling author and blogger Wendy Mitchell will be taking part in a series of young onset dementia webinars on 16 February.  Webinar viewers are invited to sign up for “Authori-tea with Wendy Mitchell: What I wish people knew about dementia by someone that knows”, which will be broadcast from 2.30-3.30pm by the Young Dementia Network … Read more

Birthday treat

Birthday treat: Military veterans charity Royal Star & Garter, which runs three care homes, held a tea party celebration for its 106th anniversary.  Residents joined in the celebrations, including Paddy (pictured) in the Solihull home. They tucked into a delicious birthday cake and played anniversary-themed bingo and other games.

Fall in research funding

Alzheimer’s Society has called for action after a parliamentary question showing that government spending on dementia research has fallen.  MP Chi Onwurah asked the government why total research spending on dementia had dropped from £112.9 million in 2018/19 to £104.7 million in 2019/20.  The news came despite the government’s “dementia moonshot” pledge to double spending … Read more