The EMPOWER Dementia Network+  have presented recent work at the 18th annual Health Service Research UK conference, which took place on 2-3 July in Newcastle. The conference offers a forum for anyone interested in health and care services research to discuss key issues in health and care services research, policy and practice. 

The team’s presentation focused on a series of public engagement workshops designed to co-create a shared vision of excellent and inclusive dementia care.

These workshops used creative and visual co-production methods to engage underserved groups, including those from marginalised ethnic, socio-economic and geographical backgrounds.

The core aim was to develop a values-led vision shaped by the lived realities of people with dementia, their families and community partners. 

Participants took part in structured creative activities that helped bring to light both  priorities for the network, and  broader reflections on what inclusive dementia care should look and feel like. These ideas were captured through metaphors such as trees, pollinators and ecosystems, which served as powerful and accessible ways to represent collective values and aspirations.

People with dementia and carers were central to the process. They contributed through a dedicated experts by experience panel and in workshops run by trusted community organisations. These engagements generated several key themes, including the need for integrated services, a more skilled and diverse workforce, equitable access to support, and policies that reflect the experiences of those most affected by dementia.

 

I desire that the minds of people with dementia are as free as a butterfly and as sunny as a sunflower.

A participant at the workshop

Future work will focus on developing this vision into practical, community-informed interventions and research agendas. The team is currently synthesising findings from across all workshops into a publication that will offer a new model for inclusive dementia research grounded in co-production.

Find out more 

Learn about the work of the EMPOWER Dementia Network