Work, holiday and family

AAIC presenation Dementia in Prison The conference has been so engaging, I am delayed in my blogging!! I had the opportunity to present an element of my PrisDem work: "Prison initiatives to support older prisoners and those with dementia: the prisoner’s lived experience." Thank you to everyone who engaged with the presentation and poster! A lot of insightful conversations and some great ideas and collaborations on taking this work forward. I always come away with new plans, ideas and a renewed level of energy to ensure this work is completed and all people with dementia obtain appropriate support and this includes those in prison.

AAIC 2019 Los Angeles My first time attending this conference, important and ground breaking work in the diagnosis, treatment and the possibility of halting the progression of dementia - some of the presentations are overwhelmingly scientific, but incredible to have an overview of the amazing work that is occuring. The exhibition hall, although also rather medical facing was equally as facinating! The buzz at the conference is inspiring and for me always re-engages me with the importance of research in dementia, whether this is medical, scientific or addressing care and human rights. Tomorrw, my poster presenation looking forward to more networking.

Conference time! Over the next few days I will be attending and presenting at a number of conferences, to discuss my work on how to support prisoners with dementia. The first conference is the AAIC - Alzheimer's Association International Conference in LA, and the second conference is STTI - Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Conference. I have just arrived in LA, the weather is beautiful and the pizza with cauliflower crust was delicious, although not used to the high-rise hotels - look at the lift!

First day of the #28AEC A powerful session on Human Rights and the need for the involvement of people with dementia in all aspects regarding dementia – from diagnosis to care to treatment to research. However, why are people with dementia can be denied their human rights from the time of diagnosis, this is a direct insult on their human rights. From Helen Rochford-Brennan Dementia villages – I do not want to move to a dementia specific village – we do not discuss gathering up all of those with diabetes and put them in one village. But society is happy to do this for people with the condition of dementia. Not a criticism of facilities but of a system that allows this for a choice! Over prescription of anti-psychotic drugs – psychotropic prescribing – people living with dementia are often described as aggressive or challenging but this are all normal human emotions, why should people with dementia be medicated out of their human emotions. These drugs are still commonl

Alzheimer's Disease International Conference 2018 - first day This conference, is the one conference I will always attend the combination  of scientists, healthcare professionals, people with dementia and their care partners all presenting together is very powerful. The Dementia Alliance International is run by people with dementia for people with dementia is equally represented at this conference, which is very humbling, inspiring and so informative and thought provoking. Today, speakers from DAI opening ceremony included John Sandbolm and today's plenary session, Christine Thelker, and later Jerry Wylie. I have included some of their thought providing slides below: In the afternoon there was also a session on exploring the impact of dementia for people from different cultures. One of which I was very interested in after my recent visit to New Zealand was an understanding of the Maori people regarding dementia and if the current health pathways supported Mao

STTI Congress Melbourne, This week on my Winston Churchill Travel Fellowship, I am attending the STTI. I was slightly disappointed that there was nothing with regards to nurses leading care within the prison setting, which highlights why this is such an important area to develop. Therefore, my focus was understanding providing care for a culturally diverse population and apply this to the prison setting, with this reference there were some very interesting and applicable presentation!! Sessions included: - Cultural competency in nursing education - Culturally diverse care - Culturally diversity in the nursing workforce - Healthcare for migrant populations - Student nurse perceptions of vulnerable populations - Care competencies for the older patients A great conference and such interesting conversations, and thought provoking - I have a number of papers and books I am going to read to further my understand. Thank you to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for providing me