Last month the National Dementia Action Alliance held its annual conference which brought together health professionals, charitable organisations and carers among others, to discuss national guidance on dementia care.
One of the focal points of the conference was ?The Dementia Statements: Through a legal lens'. In 2010 the Dementia Statements were established as declaration of expectations of what life should be like for people with dementia. The statements which can be found HERE helped inform the government on an ambitious yet achievable vision of support.
In 2017 the statements were reviewed and the ?I' at the beginning of each statement was replaced with ?we' to signify that people with dementia and carers were included as equals. This year the NDAA have been looking at how they take the statements forward considering them from a legal perspective. You can read an overview of the NDAA findings and guidance here: ?The Dementia Statements: Through a legal lens'
The guidance is for professionals, people living with dementia and carers and helps to raise awareness of the legal underpinnings of the dementia statements. It also provides a practical tool for people with lived experience to hold professionals to account and advocate for the life they want to lead.
Janis Cottee from Chadwell Heath who has been a longstanding volunteer in the office of Jon Cruddas MP regularly attends national conferences and is a steering committee member of the NDAA conference. Over the years Janis has participated in the development of the ?We statements' and the Skills for Care Booklet, and she regularly speaks on behalf of Tide at events and keeps the MP up-to-date on new policy.
Jon Cruddas MP commented: "Janis has gone from strength to strength in recent years and has been an exceptional advocate for Tide (Together in Dementia Everyday), which is now a registered charity. Dementia is fast becoming one of the big issues of our time, and with an ageing population the work we do now to raise awareness and set care standards is incredibly important."
You can find more information about Tide and the work they do, including Janis's story via this link: https://www.tide.uk.net/about/our-vision-mission-and-values/