Learning from lived experience: Living with Dementia through Covid-19
Teresa Davies - @doryitsme
Mother, grandmother, Dementia friend champion, Member of DEEP and Dementia diarist
Teresa opened the conference this morning giving a real personal experience of her Dementia. She spoke about things that help her such as her smart speaker and allotment. She talked about the importance of her sunflower lanyard and how this means that she receives help when she needs it without judgement.
Covid-19 & Dementia: Supporting people and improving care through Covid-19
Dr Sarah Russell, RGN - @LearnAdmirNurse
Professional and Practice Development Facilitator (South West)
Dementia UK
• the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people with dementia and their carers
• how can we better support people at the end of life?
• how can we better support carers during the pandemic?
• working with care homes
• recommendations for improvement
Sarah opened by asking – “End of Life Care – what do we mean? And What Matters?”
During her presentation Sarah said “You must Discuss, Decide and Document – Advance Care Planning conversations – whilst troublesome they are so useful” - “They are not just about decisions – they help to contemplate what is happening for all involved. I really want to emphasise any advanced care conversations”
Whilst discussing End of Life Care, Sarah said “Palliative care is good attention to detail for each person”
EXTENDED SESSION: Putting personal experience first
Ian Donaghy - @trainingcarers
Keynote Speaker, Conference Host, Trainer
Author of Dear Dementia & The Missing Peace
• what is experience of care?
• end of life care planning for dementia: a personal journey
• ensuring engaged, informed individuals and carers
• the little things that make a big difference
• meaningfully engaging and involving people
• improving information about what to expect at the end of life
• working with care homes through Covid-19
During Ian’s talk he used personal experience with family members to really explain how “it’s about getting End of Life right”
Ian asked ‘Who is to blame for poor End of Life Care?” by answering that “we are the problem!” The reason we are the problem is because “if we don’t share our End of Life wishes – how is anyone supposed to know what they are?”
Ian shared that “in care if it’s not right it’s wrong” and that “the job of the care home is to make people happy or stop them being unhappy”.
Ian shared some of the Dementia films he has worked on during his talk which are available via his website www.bigian.co.uk