"What role should music have in care and support for people with dementia and what is the best way to promote its use?" Everyone affected by memory loss and dementia can tell compelling stories about the magical effect of music, particularly responses to personal music from a person’s teenage years. Music can bring joy ... Read more
LGBTQ
In June 2020, everyone was reeling from the horror of the pandemic and the brutal isolation of lockdown. A call went out on Twitter – was anyone interested in setting up a support group for LGBTQ+ people affected by dementia? Lucy Whitman and colleagues describe what happened next. During the first lockdown, Mike Parish, long-time ... Read more
Artistic expression has been shown to improve mood and quality of life among people with dementia. Natalie Peake measured the impact of artistic wellbeing sessions and found that it could provide an alternative treatment for those who are struggling to live well with the condition. Dementia, more specifically Alzheimer’s disease, is caused by a loss ... Read more
Online Dementia Bootcamp for high school students
Improving public perceptions of dementia remains a perennial challenge, but how best to do it? Beth Mastel-Smith and colleagues tested the feasibility of an online educational program for high school students and found that students were more confident and better able to communicate with people with dementia. Dementia awareness and knowledge among the general population ... Read more
We’re back. It’s taken a long time to rebuild the Dementia Diaries website – but I’m pleased to be able to report that we are back in business. So here’s a reminder of what Dementia Diaries is all about and how you can get involved. What is Dementia Diaries? Dementia Diaries is a project that ... Read more
Comment/Opinion
By Mark Ivory, JDC Editor New horizons in dementia: Building on hope was the title of Alzheimer Disease International’s (ADI) Global Conference in London and, in the June sunshine, it was refreshing to see the levels of enthusiasm and engagement from an audience of 1200 delegates from 120 countries. But in large parts of the ... Read more
John, The Reimagining Dementia Coalition for Social Justice and Me! You are my heart’s delight, And where you are, I long to be You make my darkness bright, When like a star you shine on me Shine, then, my whole life through Your life divine bids me hope anew That dreams of mine may at ... Read more
Curing the dementia care system
Global investment is urgently needed to improve care for people living with dementia Investment in dementia research tends to focus developing drugs to cure or slow the disease. Nora Super (left, below) and Fiona Carragher argue that much more should be spent on research into dementia care and achieving a better quality of life ... Read more
Opinion
Thinking about dementia has been dominated by the “medical model”, the idea that it is a disease to be fought and cured. But John Killick says it makes no more sense to “fight” dementia than to fight adolescence or any other natural process. There is an ancient document called the Mappa Mundi in Hereford Cathedral. ... Read more
Reflections on my life and career
In the first of a series of personal reflections from care sector figures on their lives and careers, Caroline Baker shares her memories of how her career began, her most memorable and inspirational moments, and her most embarrassing experience. Where it all began When I am asked this question, it always makes me smile as ... Read more
Online coaching for family carers of people living with dementia has been shown to be beneficial for wellbeing. Geoffrey Fenwick and colleagues explain the CareCoach study which aims to generate a more robust evidence base, and invite more people to become involved as patient and public involvement representatives. Around 700,000 family carers support 900,000 people living with dementia ... Read more
How to support people living with dementia at an Exploratory level
This article, the third in a series of four by Jackie Pool, QCS Dementia Care Champion, explores how carers and activity providers can use the PAL Instrument to support a sense of wellbeing for individuals living with moderate dementia In the previous article, I focused on individuals with moderate to severe dementia, defined as the ... Read more
Research
Research Summaries July/August 2022
Person-centred communication Despite ongoing research and clinical focus on person-provider communication, these authors highlight the absence of a comprehensive theoretical position to underpin person-centred communication in dementia and older adult research. They employed several person-centred care and communication theoretical perspectives to ground the study, then developed a Person-Centred Communication Enhancement Model. The discussion provides an ... Read more
Events
Christine Proudfoot, a dementia nurse consultant, writes interestingly about pain recognition and management on the Alzheimer Scotland blog Let’s Talk about Dementia. “Pain is under-recognised, under-estimated and under-treated as patients cannot successfully communicate pain,” she writes. “Therefore the evidence suggests that people with advanced dementia continue to experience pain and inadequate care even with clear ... Read more