ALZHEIMER EUROPE
European Working Group of People with Dementia participates in four international conferences During 2021, members of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) have participated in and contributed to four important international dementia conferences. This article gives some background about the events themselves, describes the contribution made by the EWGPWD, and gives some members’ feedback on their experiences. Between May and July 2021, members of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD) were invited to participate in and contribute to four important international dementia conferences. The group was represented by Angela Pototschnigg and Helen Rochford-Brennan at the “Mental health and the pandemic: living, caring, acting!” conference organised by the European
Commission in May; by Chris Roberts and his wife and supporter Jayne Goodrick, by Kevin Quaid, and by supporter/carer Carmel Geoghegan at a workshop organised by the EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) at Dementia Forum X in May; by Helen Rochford-Brennan at the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) event about its impact on dementia in June; and by Chris
Roberts, Kevin Quaid and Bernd Heise at a seminar during the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in July. This article gives some insight into each of these four events and describes the contribution made by the EWGPWD. It also shares a few thoughts from some of those who participated or contributed, namely Chris Roberts, Chairperson of the EWGPWD, Kevin Quaid, Vice-Chairperson and Helen Rochford-Brennan, former Chairperson and current member of the group. We asked each of them to give their feedback about the event(s) in which they were involved, about the importance of people with dementia being included as speakers and participants, and about some of their general experiences of involvement at international dementia events, particularly online ones. We also encouraged them to share any advice for future organisers and participants, to help improve the experience and ensure that people living with dementia are empowered to contribute and that their contribution is valued. Carmel Geoghegan and Jayne Goodrick also shared some insights from their perspective as supporters/carers.
Mental health and the pandemic: living, caring, acting! On 10 May 2021, this one-day, virtual event took place during European Mental Health Awareness Week. It gathered more than 1,000 participants to highlight the mental health impact of COVID-19 around five themes: understanding, living, caring, responding and acting. The event gave voice to different groups in society, including people with pre-existing mental health problems and those providing care. The conference included plenary sessions featuring an array of speakers,
10 Dementia in Europe
including representatives from EU countries, the European Commission and European Parliament, as well as from patient organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), health professionals, civil society and international organisations. Parallel sessions focused on living, caring and responding to the mental health challenges arising from the pandemic.
parallel sessions was “Living – Older People and Vulnerable Groups”, chaired by Isabel de la Mata, Principal Adviser for Health and Crisis management. The introductory testimonials included two videos by members of the EWGPWD, Angela Pototschnigg and Helen Rochford-Brennan.
The scene was set for each parallel session with moving video testimonials from people affected by these challenges. One such
https://ec.europa.eu/health/non_ communicable_diseases/events/ ev_20210510_en
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