THE biggest dementia conference to be held in Scotland (which will be attended by 800 professionals, people with dementia and carers) will be held in Glasgow next week (20-23 October) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The focus of the conference will be Dignity and autonomy in Dementia and the four day event will explore how recognising the human rights of people with dementia, their carers, partners and families is key to ensuring dignity and respect, as well as overcoming stigma. I
t is the 24th Annual Conference of Alzheimer Europe (an umbrella organisation of 36 Alzheimer associations from 31 countries across Europe), supported this year by Alzheimer Scotland, Scotland’s leading dementia charity.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Alex Neil, will deliver a keynote speech to the conference at the Tuesday morning plenary session.
Key to the event will be the signing of the Glasgow Declaration: a commitment to promoting the rights, dignity and autonomy of people living with dementia across Europe, as guaranteed in the European Convention of Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This will take place on Monday 20 October at 6pm.
“We are delighted to welcome delegates from all over the world to our 24th Annual Conference in Glasgow. The conference will showcase best practice in informing and empowering people with dementia to make vital decisions regarding their own support and care needs, as well as supporting their participation at local, national and international level in shaping health and social care policies. We want to demonstrate the responsibility of national and international policymakers, local decision-makers, health and social care professionals and all of society in making change happen for people with dementia.” Heike von Lützau-Hohlbein, chair of Alzheimer Europe
“The signing of the Glasgow Declaration marks a huge step forward in the international recognition of the rights of people with dementia and their carers. Scotland has a proud tradition of developing policies based upon the principles of human rights and we have worked hard to ensure that people with dementia and their carers play a vital role in this. Alzheimer Scotland is delighted to welcome our colleagues from across Europe and we join with them in this global effort to ensure that the human rights of everyone living with dementia, their family-members and carers are recognised and respected.” Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland
The programme includes over 200 presentations from speakers and organisations worldwide, on subjects as diverse as:
- Would future NHS dementia care easily lend itself to private markets?
- People with dementia as advocates for change
- Dementia – Everyone’s Business! Working with our black minority ethnic communities and faith communities
- Green care farm for people with dementia as an alternative to traditional nursing home care
- Coffee and Alzheimer’s disease – the underlying mechanisms
This event will also be tweeted. Look out for the #24AEC hashtag and follow @AlzheimerEurope and @alzscot.
ENDS
Journalists are invited to attend the conference. Please contact Kirsty Yanik at Alzheimer Scotland if you wish to attend (this can be for the entire event or for specific presentations/speakers).
Interviews can also be arranged with the following key participants:
- Alex Neil – Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Scottish Government
- Heike von Lützau-Hohlbein – chairperson, Alzheimer Europe
- Jean Georges – executive director, Alzheimer Europe
- Henry Simmons – chief executive, Alzheimer Scotland
- Jeremy Hughes – chief executive, Alzheimer’s Society
Contact details: Kirsty Yanik, PR & marketing manager, 0131 243 1453 / 07900 498223, kyanik@alzscot.org
Note for Editor:
- Dementia affects 88,000 people in Scotland.
- Alzheimer’s disease is the main form of dementia. The second most common is vascular dementia. As yet there is no cure.
Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s foremost voluntary organisation working for people with dementia and their carers. It:
- speaks out for the rights and concerns of people with dementia and their carers;
- operates services on over 60 sites throughout Scotland providing practical services such as day, evening and weekend opportunities, home support and befriending and carers’ support services;
- provides the 24 hour national freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000);
- provides the website alzscot.org;
- supports the Scottish Dementia Working Group and the National Dementia Carers Action Network
- has a network of Dementia Advisors across Scotland;
- has a Specialist Dementia Nurse programme;
- publishes leaflets, booklets, reports and a quarterly newsletter keeping carers and professionals up-to-date;
- has a Dementia Research Centre in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and a Centre for Policy & Practice at the University of the West of Scotland.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by Alzheimer Scotland. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka Press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Check out twitter.com/nonstopstories.
Contact: Kirsty Yanik
Phone: 0131 243 1476
Email: kyanik@alzscot.org
Website: http://www.alzscot.org
