Dementia Care Update 2008, Scotland

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 06 Feb 2008 - 16:00 PDT

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The Dementia Care Update 2008 conference is an important and exciting date in the dementia calendar this year.

This two-day event, organised by The Journal of Dementia Care in association with Alzheimer Scotland, will provide an up-to-date review of best practice, with sessions covering such wide-ranging aspects of dementia care as connection to nature and assistive technology, palliative care and supporting communication.

This now well-established conference is ideal for all dementia care professionals, including managers, psychologists and psychiatrists, occupational and speech and language therapists, nursing staff, social work staff, community mental health teams and many more. Many of the sessions have a 'hands-on', practical emphasis to allow those attending to take away new ideas to improve their care for people with dementia. All sessions will invite questions and discussion, and there will be ample time for networking, making and renewing contacts with fellow-professionals.

Keynote speakers on 18 March include Kate Fearnley, Health and Community Care Director of Alzheimer Scotland, Norman Alm, Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee, Kate Allan and John Killick from Dementia Positive and members of the Scottish Dementia Working Group. Dr Alm will speak on supporting communication for people with dementia with technology, which can be followed up with a parallel session later in the day. Members of the Scottish Dementia Working Group will present a session entitled 'Raising our voices: people with dementia campaigning for change', which should prove inspiring and stimulating.

On 19 March Mike Nolan, Professor of Gerontological Nursing at Sheffield University will speak about relationship-centred care for people with dementia, and Liz Norton, Director of Adult Services Regulation at the Care Commission, Scotland will explain the new care homes grading system, a topic which looks set to provoke lively debate. Garuth Chalfont, landscape architect, researcher and Director of Chalfont Design will speak on 'Connection to nature: unleashing the potential for health and happiness', and Jenny Henderson, Alzheimer Scotland Trainer and Field Worker will describe the innovative Beyond Barriers Project (palliative care for people with dementia).

Each day will also include five parallel sessions covering a wide variety of stimulating topics.

Alzheimer Scotland