Navigating the Frontiers of Dementia: ADI Conference 2024
The 36th Global Conference of Alzheimer’s Disease International took place in Kraków, Poland, last week. Experts around the world came together under the theme of Dementia: Insights. Innovations. Inspirations and shared information on achievements, innovations, and best practices in dementia research, care, and policy.
DSDC Senior Dementia Consultant, Dave Wilson-Wynne, attended and represented the University of Stirling and our Centre. Here is what he said about the experience:
Call to Action
“It has always been an ambition of mine to attend this conference,” David said. “It is an incredible opportunity to network and share best practice. It is, without doubt, a personal milestone and a huge privilege.
“The conference brings together people from all over the world that are at the forefront of the latest dementia research, but it also opens your eyes as you begin to understand that some countries do not have dementia strategies in place. These conferences are an opportunity for us to present a united front to convince governments and organisations to take dementia more seriously.”
Bridging Generations: Young Onset Dementia
“The one thing that stuck with me was learning more about families. The families behind people who live with dementia but especially young onset dementia. I connected with an incredible organisation called Lorenzo’s House. They recognise the real need to support children whose parents might have a diagnosis of dementia.
“We were also able to connect and speak about DSDC’s vision of including children as we move forward in our work. How can we make sure that the terminology and the wording that we use in research and our publications is on a level that children can understand? Often, we have found, the language that is simple and straight-to-the-point is also the one that makes the most meaningful impact.
“There is a lot to be said about the importance of intergenerational projects and considerations in dementia.”
Translating Research Into Action
Knowledge exchange is at the heart of our mission at the DSDC. During the week, Dave linked with a number of organisations including Brain Health Scotland and other institutions, such as Liverpool John Moores University.
“Collaboration and innovation is so important in dementia care. What I learn from my colleagues at the conference gets passed down to our students at the University, and what my colleagues learn from us moves through their networks, too.”
“I think that the big takeaway is implementation science. How do we get the important aspects of research, both clinical and non-clinical, to the communities where it can make a real and meaningful impact?”
