BIRMINGHAM, England, November 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
The winners of the first International Dementia Awards, organised by the University of Stirling's Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) were announced last night at The Vox in Birmingham and presented by Baroness Joan Bakewell.
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June Andrews, Director of the DSDC at the University of Stirling, commented: "As part of the year long Dementia Festival of Ideas, the International Dementia Awards 2015 celebrate the many examples of excellent work that can be seen both nationally and internationally, in supporting people with dementia and their carers."
The awards ceremony took place as part of the first International Dementia Conference - also at The Vox - and the Care & Dementia Show which runs alongside at the NEC, providing practical solutions to support those working in care today.
The winners are:
EKTA - Dementia & the Arts Award
This award recognises artwork that represents people with dementia or engages with dementia in art forms created by people with or without dementia, including for example but not exclusively: painting, film, drama, documentaries or photography.
This year's winner, Ramesh Verma (and her volunteers) at EKTA Project have been working hard to raise awareness of dementia for South Asian elders in innovative ways. This includes a play about a family who originally came to the UK from the Punjab, performed by volunteers up to the age of 73, who have given nearly 20 performances across London.
Christeen Winford - Dementia Festival Award
This award recognises work undertaken to establish fulfilling and rewarding lives for people after diagnosis of dementia. This can be a one off or on-going activity.
This year's winner, Christeen Winford (Scottish film maker) made the film Darkness in the Afternoon a number of years ago. This film portrays Marie who has dementia and her husband who she sees as a threatening stranger. The story is seen through the eyes of Marie and her reality. The difference between this reality and how she appears to others is vividly portrayed as the story ends. Darkness in the Afternoon is now recognised as a valuable learning tool to change the way people think about people with dementia and it has stood the test of time.
Kate Swaffer - Dementia Leader of the Year Award
This award recognises an individual who has made a considerable difference to the lives of people with dementia nationally or internationally.
This year's winner, Kate Swaffer (Dementia Alliance International) lives with younger onset dementia and is the chairperson of the Dementia Action Alliance. She is leading the advocacy movement to have people living with dementia fully included in the development of policy and dementia friendly initiatives. Kate blogs every day.
Orfield Laboratories - Design Innovation Award
This award recognises a communal or private setting used by people with dementia that demonstrates good design.
This year's winner, Orfield Laboratory, is a 44 year old multi-disciplinary architectural and product lab that works with disabilities to help the world move toward perceptual and cognitive universal design. They have made the first effort worldwide to develop a perceptual and cognitive standard for people over the age of ninety that can be used to design aging environments.
The Guinness Partnership - Housing & Dementia Award
This award recognises innovation and high quality in provision of housing and housing support for people with dementia that allows them to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.
This year's winner, The Guinness Partnership, set out to support the approximately 1,000 older tenants living with dementia, helping more of them to remain independent and live in their own homes for longer and to live well with dementia. This award not only recognises their commitment to continue the good practice that they have already identified, but to focus on making change based on the views of people with dementia, those who live with them, and front line staff of the organisation.
Western Trust - Service Innovation Team Award
The team of the year could come from any service that supports people with dementia. Nominees had to demonstrate that they have enhanced quality of services received by people with dementia through their work, for example as a clinical commissioning team, a care home group, a housing organisation or other.
This year's winner, WHSCT (Londonderry, Northern Ireland) memory service aims to detect and assess dementia at the earliest possible stage, make treatment recommendations and provide information and support to patients and care givers. They are committed to the principle of involving users and carers in the design, delivery and evaluation of its services. The views of users and carers are taken account of, valued and acted upon in all service changes. Involvement of people with dementia is crucial to the heart of good care and early diagnosis is vital.
The awards were presented by Baroness Joan Bakewell, as part of the International Dementia Conference in Birmingham, as the centrepiece of the Conference Dinner on November 3rd.
Professor June Andrews, Director of DSDC continued, "This is a great way to celebrate what is best in dementia care. People are putting knowledge into practice and really making a difference for individuals, families and communities."
Chris Edwards, Event Director of the Care and Dementia Show, commented, "We've been hugely impressed by the quality of the entries and are very proud to be recognising the work of some of the world's leading dementia care organisations and individuals.
Notes to editors
Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC), Stirling (http://www.dementia.stir.ac.uk)
Dementia Services Development Centre is an international centre of knowledge and expertise dedicated to improving the lives of people with Dementia, drawing on research and practice from across the world, to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date resource on all aspects of Dementia. Based at the University of Stirling, DSDC works with individuals and organizations to improve the design of care environments, to make communities Dementia-friendly, to influence policy and to improve services for people with Dementia. 2015 - the DSDC's 25th anniversary year - is marked by the Dementia Festival of Ideas which will explore the meaning of Dementia to us all, looking at the subject from as many different angles as possible and as creatively it deserves.
International Dementia Conference (http://www.internationaldementiaconference.co.uk)
Running at The Vox, Birmingham 3-4 November 2015, the International Dementia Conference will bring together leading figures from around the globe and from a variety of different industry backgrounds to learn and share ideas on the best ways to tackle dementia as a global issue. Created for everyone involved in supporting people with dementia and their carers, both in the UK and internationally, the conference runs concurrently with Care & Dementia Show 2015, the largest health and social care exhibition in the UK.
Care & Dementia Show (http://www.careshow.co.uk)
Care & Dementia Show is the biggest trade event in the UK for the care and dementia sector and takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on 3-4 November 2015. The show features dedicated suppliers, best practice ideas and technology showcases as well as providing education, products and services for those owning or running any organisation involved in the care of older people and/or affected by dementia. These include proprietors, directors and managers of care homes, nursing homes, domiciliary care agencies, sheltered accommodation, learning disability homes, local authorities, specialist care units, private hospitals and construction companies.
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