A regional conference to highlight advances in dementia-specific healthcare is to be hosted in the North East later this year.
Newcastle-based not-for-profit organisation, Dementia Care, has announced that it is hosting a special conference and fundraising event at The Sage, Gateshead on Thursday 25 October 2018 to mark the 25th anniversary of its inauguration as a registered charity.
Set to attract healthcare professionals from across the country and beyond, the conference aims to address the importance of specialist care and advice services for people living with dementia, their families and carers, while also raising the profile of Dementia Care as a service provider in the region.
Dr Fraser Quin, chief executive at Dementia Care, said:
“For 25 years, Dementia Care has been providing expert care, support and advice to people with dementia and other neurological disorders, such as acquired brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
“Caring for people living with dementia is unlike other forms of care, each person needs to be treated as an individual and care packages need to be tailored to meet their specific needs.
“Delivering this level of care at a consistently high standard is incredibly specialist and requires a lot of highly-intensive training which needs to be constantly reviewed in order to keep up to date with the latest research and developments in the care sector.
“Our 25th anniversary conference is a spectacular opportunity for us to bring together the groups we work closely with, as well as practitioners from further afield, to share knowledge and discuss the future of dementia services and care.”
Although a full programme of events is yet to be released, Dementia Care has revealed that the keynote speaker at the conference will be Professor Louise Robinson, director of the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing.
Professor Robinson is an academic GP and Professor of Primary Care and Ageing at Newcastle University. She was the first GP to be awarded a prestigious NIHR Professorship and leads a research programme focused on improving quality of life and quality of care for older people, especially those with dementia.
She leads one of the three Alzheimer Society National Centres of Excellence on Dementia Care and is a member of the national dementia care guidelines development group as well as the primary care lead for the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge.
“Professor Robinson is a great asset to our conference line-up,” Fraser added.
“Louise’s profile and stature within the healthcare sector and her specialism in ageing sciences make her a leading authority on dementia care, so we’re delighted to have her involved in the programme.”
Dementia Care provides 24-hour home care, residential and respite care and day services to people living with dementia. From its purpose-built centres in Newcastle upon Tyne and Hexham, the organisation also provides specialist training and practical care support for carers and family members.
For more information about Dementia Care visit www.dementiacare.org or for conference tickets, visit bit.ly/DementiaCare25.