Story telling is a way to define, make meaning and construct the self and we are three story tellers who believe that this is as important for people with dementia as it is for any of us.  Despite this we know that social isolation is both a risk factor and a symptom of worsening dementia.  We wanted to explore if people with dementia would enjoy a story telling group and to record those stories in a beautiful way that they could keep for the uncertainties in the future.  We asked people to bring an object that has been in their poss

This project aims to co-design and co-create a holistic digital health and well-being platform with and for people with dementia to provide enhanced dementia self-management support. The platform will integrate a visual personalised care plan for people living with dementia, provide timely access to services and supports when required, tailored to the specific needs of a person living with dementia and their carers, to support them to live independently in their own homes. 

Persons with dementia should be at the centre of decision-making about their care including basic activities (e.g. feeding and dressing), advanced activities (e.g. finances and using transportation), and meaningful activities (e.g. social and recreational pastimes). However, there is limited involvement of people with dementia in design of technology to support their care.

Challenge. Caring for the increasing numbers of people across Europe with advanced dementia and palliative care needs who live in care homes is difficult and demanding. People with advanced dementia can be immobile, non-verbal and unable to take part in day-to-day activities. They can be unsettled or agitated, with low quality-of-life and elevated levels of discomfort. Family members can find it difficult to connect meaningfully with their relative and are anxious about the future.

1 in 10 people in Ireland who are diagnosed with dementia are aged under 65, and this is termed “Young Onset Dementia”. The impact of a diagnosis at this time of their lives is huge, and also greatly impacts families, where young children may be involved. However, services in Ireland have typically overlooked this group, being targeted towards the needs of a much older population.

We are conducting a survey and in-depth interviews to find out what are the support/service needs of people living with different types of dementia and their care partners, i.e. what services they have or would like access to/what resources would help to improve their quality of life.

No new Alzheimer's drug treatment had be licensed for 20 years until 2021, when the first Alzheimer's disease-modifying therapy (DMT) was licensed in the USA, giving hope of slowing/reversing the disease. Several new DMTs are expected. Unfortunately, offering DMTs in Ireland requires significant changes in Memory Clinic set-up, due to high drug costs and need for careful monitoring. Moreover, DMTs only work in people in early Alzheimer's, which is often unrecognized in Ireland.

The PROtein enriched MEDiterranean Diet and EXercise (PROMED-EX) randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to determine the efficacy of a protein-enriched Mediterranean diet, with and without exercise, in comparison with standard care, on nutritional status and cognition in adults at risk of undernutrition with subjective cognitive decline. The project will explore the mechanistic pathways in diet-exercise induced change in nutritional status and cognition.