Health Secretary Sets Out Wales Dementia Action Plan At USW Conference

Vaughan Gething, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport (centre), with conference organiser Karyn Davies (left) and Nicky Genders, Head of the Schoolof Care Sciences at the University of South Wales (right). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Vaughan Gething, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, set out Wales’s Dementia Action Plan at an event focusing on dementia today (Wednesday, September 14). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The University of South Wales (USW) hosted the #USWDEM16 Conference at its Treforest Campus, where the Cabinet Secretary was one of the keynote speakers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The theme of the conference was ‘Service Innovation and Best Practice’, and also saw talks by Sarah Rochira, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales; Judith Major, Keep Safe Cymru (South Wales Police); Mark Jones, of The Young Onset Dementia Service, Cardiff and the Vale UHB; and representatives of the Welsh DEEP (Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project) Network. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There was a presentation by Karen Kitch entitled “Living with Dementia… My Story”, the story of award-winning Private Eye cartoonist Tony Husband’s dad’s dementia, entitled “Take Care Son: The Story of my Dad and his Dementia”, and by carer Viv Morgan, entitled “What’s Best for Alan? A Wife’s Story”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said: “We are committed to making Wales a dementia-friendly nation, which requires effort and commitment from everyone – clinicians, educators, carers and people living in our communities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Dementia Strategic Action Plan will help to ensure that Wales is at the forefront of dementia care – and particularly earlier diagnosis – by raising awareness of the positive steps we can all take to reduce our chances of developing dementia. It will also set out how the Welsh Government and its partners can work alongside community campaigners so that people understand what it is like to live with this cruel and unforgiving illness.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Conference founder and organiser Karyn Davies, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health within USW’s Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, added: “Dementia is one of the biggest global public health challenges facing our generation, and this event has brought together a wide range of people with a common interest in the care and support of people living with dementia in Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It is imperative that the care and support of people living with dementia remains a key priority on the education agenda, in order to meet the workforce challenges ahead.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​