From Monday 20 May to Sunday 26 May it’s Dementia Action Week that calls on people to talk to and involve people living dementia.
We play our part at the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies with people affected by dementia being at the heart of every area of our work.
Over the last years, more and more of our research, training and education include people living with dementia and family caregivers. We believe that people’s experience and real life expertise adds quality and relevance to our work and gives us a more informed base of knowledge on which to draw. We comply with a rights-based approach to dementia, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and respected and their involvement is conducted in an ethical manner.
Experts by Experience have been involved in a range of different activities, including being consulted at various stages of a research project – for example, recruitment, data analysis or dissemination activities – or playing a key role in the design and delivery of our training and education programmes.
Evaluation of postgraduate students’ assessment
Five of our Experts by Experience met at the University to help with providing feedback to first-year students on our MSc Advanced Dementia Studies programme. Experts looked at extracts from the students’ first coursework assignment and commented on their use of person-centred language. The feedback was then passed on to the students to help them ensure they write in a way that is as person-centred as possible.
Videos for Health Education England
Our Experts by Experience took part in filmed interviews for Health Education England’s online training materials. Health Education England has been working with the University of Bradford to undertake a review of sessions within the e-Dementia e- learning programme. This included people with dementia and their family members talking on camera about their experience of living with different aspects of dementia. The programme, that aims to enhance the training and education of the health and care workforce, is now live. For more information and for details of how to access please visit: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/dementia/
For more details about the Experts by Experience group visit: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/health/dementia/experts-by-experience/
Written by Ana Barbosa