Alzheimer Scotland Annual Conference 2017 slides.

1. Learning Disability
and Dementia
Make it equal: all of our
roles in equalities and
dementia
Dr Karen Watchman
June 2017

2. Agenda
• What we know / what
is different?
• What do we need to do
better?
• Ongoing work
Images reproduced with permission from Jenny’s
Diary (Watchman, Tuffrey-Wijne & Quinn, 2015)

3. Risk factor –
Down’s
syndrome
• 1 in 50 aged 30-39
• 1 in 10 aged 40-49
• 1 in 3 in 50s
(increases 60+)
1 in 6 aged 80+ (non-
Down’s syndrome)

4. What is different? What is the same for all?
Age
Diagnosis
Life history
Progression
Communication
Over use of medication
Where people live
Existing capacity
Ability and experience of
planning ahead
More diagnostic overshadowing
Need for support and
information
Need to see the person
Cognitive changes
Interventions
Medical interventions
Need to know preferences and
life stories
Need to keep active
Terminal condition
Need for pain detection

5. What do we need?
• Lack of tools to determine
advancement
• Rise in self-advocacy but….
• Improved tools needed in
research
• Support for peers and family
• Support and training for staff
• Organisational policy &
guidance
• Under-represented in hospice
care

6. Ongoing work
• Bulletin series, report
• 3-year inclusive
research project
• Ongoing international
collaboration &
translations:
 Jenny’s Diary
 Supporting Derek
Hard to reach or under-researched?
blog:
http://bit.ly/2pjNXCQ

8. Dr Karen Watchman
Karen.Watchman@stir.ac.uk
www.learningdisabilityanddementia.org
@karenwatchman