Finding New Ways Of Living With Dementia

As the Welsh Government seeks views on its recently launched dementia strategy, Bangor University is bringing together people living with dementia, and organisations who are also working on dementia related support and research projects to share best practice in north Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Living with dementia in North Wales – we’re in it together, a Conference at the University on 27 January, will hear the experiences of people living with dementia, as well as those of a number of organisations providing dementia supportive programmes and conducting dementia-related research. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

One of the Conference organiser Dr Catrin Hedd Jones, a Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Lecturer in Dementia at the University’s School of Healthcare Sciences recently established a North Wales Dementia Network, so that people living with dementia, their carers and families can share their experiences in a supportive environment. She said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It’s vitally important that we find as many ways as possible to support people living with dementia, their families and carers, and to develop dementia friendly communities. We are all learning from each other including our ‘experts by experience’, so that we can find discover the best way to live a full life with dementia.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Highlighted at the Conference are a number of innovative research projects, such as the UK-wide Dementia and Imagination project run by Bangor University, which looks at how participation in the arts can support and enrich the lives of people living with dementia. The three year project has drawn in people from the different disciplines of arts, humanities, health and social sciences to ask whether art can improve life for people with dementia and their carers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Conference delegates will be able to see an art installation co-created by people with dementia and school pupils from Ysgol Brynrefail, Llanrug, Ysgol Trefnant Primary School, Denbigh and Ysgol Nannerch Primary School near Mold. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Topics for today’s Conference include legal and benefits advice, post-diagnosis support, human rights and the new dementia Strategy for Wales and how research can contribute. Dr Catrin Hedd Jones will also share her recent experience of working with Darlun television company to bring children and older people together for shared care, which was televised for a programme, Hen Blant Bach on S4C recently. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​