Round-up of the living well with Dementia conference

16 October 2014

On the afternoon of 16 October, the Dementia Health Integration Team (HIT) held an event at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in Bristol, highlighting the range of dementia-related work being undertaken in the area. This event was intended for people living with dementia and professionals.

The format of the afternoon was a series of short presentations, followed by an interactive session and a panel discussion chaired by Dr Phil Hammond. Download the programme of the afternoon.

Speakers and presentations

• Dr Derek Dominey: chairman's introductions
  Derek is chair of the Dementia HIT, and has personal experience of dementia from supporting his wife who lived with Alzheimer's disease for over 20 years
• Dr Elizabeth Coulthard: The Dementia HIT: who we are and what we do.
  Liz co-leads the Dementia HIT, and is a Consultant Senior Lecturer in Dementia Neurology at University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust
• George Garnett: Living with dementia
• Dr Sam Creavin: Diagnosing dementia in primary care
  Sam is a GP and researcher undertaking the Timeli: Towards Improving diagnosis of Memory Loss in general practice study at Bristol University
• Dr Hilary Archer: Research opportunities in Bristol
  Hilary is Academic Clinical Lecturer in Dementia Neurology at University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust
• Eleanor Fairbrother: Patchway Dementia Action Alliance.
  Eleanor is a community development worker employed by Southern Brooks Community Partnership
  
• Jan Connett: Cross-generational working
  Jan co-leads the dementia friendly communities workstream of the Dementia HIT, and is a commissioner in the public health team at Bristol City Council
• Dr Colm Owens: Bristol dementia wellbeing service
  Colm co-leads the transforming care workstream of the Dementia HIT, and is Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director for Older People's Services at Devon Partnership NHS Trust
• Dr Sarah Cullum: introducing the exhibition session
  Sarah co-led the Dementia HIT, and is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Social and Community Medicine at University of Bristol and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP)

Exhibitors

There were 17 exhibitors at the event, allowing attendees to find out more about organisations who support people living with dementia:

• Alive!
• Research opportunities in Bristol and South Gloucestershire
• Alzheimer's Society
• Dementia wellbeing service
• Dementia pathway Bristol
• Bristol Dementia Action Alliance
• AWP South Gloucestershire memory service
• Day opportunities South Gloucestershire
• Well Aware, Care Forum
• SPHERE project
• Memory research register
• Carers Support Centre
• WE Care and Repair
• BRACE
• Bristol Health Partners
• MemoryScapes

Panel discussion

During the panel discussion a range of questions were asked by the audience. Download the panel biographies.

Originally we planned to open the event to 200 individuals. However, within a week of advertising the event nearly all 200 tickets had been allocated. We therefore increased the number of delegates to 260, although on the day only 211 individuals attended. Of these, 100 completed our event evaluation form. Dr Jude Hancock produced an evaluation report, reviewing what people thought of the afternoon.