1. 41106459/VB Listening to People with Dementia Avril Easton The Alzheimer Society of Ireland June 2013

2. Background to the Project As an organisation we are committed to hearing the voice of people living with dementia. Always trying to identify opportunities to promote the direct involvement of people with dementia in our work Grasped the opportunity to work with DFI and their Listening and Changing programme

3. Working Group Composition Facilitator Person with dementia Carer ASI coordinator of project DFI Support Officer ASI Head of Services Key members of staff from across the organisation but mainly from our services Branch chair (also a volunteer)

4. What we did Established working group Decision taken by the working group to focus on people with early stage dementia whom we have never had direct contact with before Hosted a listening exercise in December to gather information from people in order to improve how we meet their needs and deliver our services going forward

5. 17 th December 2012

6. What we heard 1.Diagnosis 2.Information and Services 3.Living Well with Dementia

7. Outcomes The findings demonstrate that when people with dementia are facilitated to be involved in a meaningful way, they have many thoughts and views on issues that they wish to contribute. Identified new key advocates for us as an organisation Established first Irish Working Group of People with Dementia

8. Learning from the Project Key Factors 1.Facilitator 2.Involvement of person with dementia 3.Enthusiasm of the working group 4.Focusing on new people that we had not encountered before Challenges 1.No Board Member 2.Coordination of project 3.Communicating the work across the organisation

9. Thank You! For more information: avril.easton@alzheimer.ie www.alzheimer.ie info@alzheimer.ie National Free Helpline: 1800 341 341