In a ground-breaking master’s degree programme at Bradford University, UKDC’s bronze sponsor, people with dementia have designed, written and partly taught one of the modules. Clare Mason, assistant professor at the university’s Centre for Applied Dementia Studies introduced the “Understanding the Me in Dementia” module, which forms part of the MSc in Advanced Dementia Studies.
Mason showed a film featuring some of the module participants, including Chris Maddocks, who has vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, who says: “Don’t make assumptions, see the person not the dementia and speak to them and not just the care giver.”
Also in the film “Julie” says she is “very proud” to be part of the module. “I started my journey feeling on the rubbish tip of life and certainly didn’t think I’d ever be involved with a university again. Working on this module has been truly life-affirming.”