Dementia Community Research Network (DCRN) hold annual community engagement event
As part of Dementia Action Week, the DCRN hosted a conference at Standstead Lodge Senior club on 19 May.
Latest news
The Dementia Community Research Network (DCRN) is a growing network of researchers, public contributors and community-based dementia support services working together to improve dementia care and research in south London. The DCRN aims to make dementia research more inclusive, accessible and relevant to diverse communities.
As a part of the National Festival for Applied Dementia Research, the DCRN recently hosted its second annual community engagement event, funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The event aimed to encourage the exchange of information and ideas, by bringing together people affected by dementia, local service providers and academic researchers. In line with their goal of community engagement, the DCRN chose a venue in the heart of south London, Stanstead Lodge Senior Club, a charity for people over the age of 50.
Over 80 people attended, including those affected by dementia, carers, members of the public interested in dementia charities and care partners. The DCRN hosted stalls from their community partners, including Age UK, Arts for Dementia, Home Instead and Butterfly Café, Join Dementia Research, and Two Mindful Bees.
Researchers from King’s College London and Queen Mary University of London also showcased their work at various stalls, including those from the Cicely Saunders Institute and its Public Involvement Forum, the Health and Social Care Research Workforce Unit, and the CARE Network. Several new organisations were welcomed to the event this year, including Imago, supporting unpaid carers, and Age Exchange, hosting social activity reminiscence arts groups for people living with dementia and their carers.
Over refreshments, attendees visited the different the stalls and learned about the work the DCRN does, current research being conducted in dementia care and various dementia support services available in south London.
Attendees enjoyed presentations by researchers at King’s College London on the social care workforce in dementia care, end-of-life perspectives for people with dementia, dementia and continence care and the EMPOWER network. They also heard from representatives at community partners Arts for Dementia and Home Instead, who presented on the important work being undertaken by their services. Finally, everyone was invited to take part in an interactive music session with community engagement facilitator and music educator Alistair Sutherland.
The event was designed to highlight the work of the DCRN and spark dialogue about enhancing dementia care by encouraging participation in research from individuals of all ethnic backgrounds and ethnicities. We were keen to give everyone the opportunity to connect with each other. Based on the feedback from attendees, we can say with confidence that we successfully met this goal - and exceeded it.
Geeti Kabra, Research Assistant at the DCRN
Research into dementia is very important because it can help everyone learn how to support people like me better. During the presentations, I was most interested to hear about three dementia friendly cafes that take place across south London and are run by Home Instead.
Pauline Jones, attendee and expert by experience
Find out more
- Find out more about the work of the DCRN here, or hear from DCRN research assistant Geeti Kabra about the work they are doing to make research more inclusive.
- Read about how two PhD researchers in the ARC’s palliative and end of life care theme, India Tunnard and Ana Maksimovic, are improving dementia care through better understanding of end of life experiences and how decisions are made.
- Read an account of this year's DCRN event from expert by experience Pauline Jones, who offers her reflections on the day.
- View a gallery of images from of events that have taken place across England to mark Dementia Action Week.