Another report from the UK Dementia Congress.
As academic sponsor the University of Worcester’s Association for Dementia Studies (ADS) showcased its ground-breaking research as PhD students Rosemary Davies and Nathan Stephens described their projects.
Davies wants to challenge the status quo by improving counselling for people when they have had a diagnosis of dementia. “Evidence suggests that older people with dementia are denied counselling and that doesn’t sit well with me as someone whose parents are living with dementia,” she said. “Counselling helps with resilience and managing change, and shares values of empathy and transparency with person-centred care. People can tell their story without pressure to be smart or logical.”
Stephens is looking at scaling up community-based interventions like the Meeting Centres pioneered by the ADS in the UK. What are the principles and theory of scaling up early intervention schemes so that more people can receive timely help and improve their wellbeing?
“Scaling up can build a better society but it will require investment in the adult social care workforce, both paid and unpaid,” Stephens said. “About half of those who need it don’t draw on community-based support and it’s important to fill these gaps in a failed system.”