A dementia network established in Liverpool has gone global with the launch of the Dementia Learning and Research Community in Australia.
On 26 November 2024, international guests and researchers came together at Monash University, Melbourne, for the launch of the Australian network inspired by the University of Liverpool’s Dementia & Ageing Research Forum.
Speaking at the launch was Dr Clarissa Giebel who discussed the success of the forum she launched in 2019 to address inequalities faced by people living with dementia and their families and unpaid carers. The Liverpool Dementia & Ageing Research Forum started its journey to create an open network to discuss and jointly develop research in dementia and ageing. The forum has two aims:
1. To make research easily accessible for everyone and raise awareness of dementia
2. To create a collaborative network of like-minded people with professional and lived experiences of dementia and ageing.
Dr Giebel, Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool and at the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast, said: “Dementia is the second leading cause of death of all Australians and the leading cause of death for Australian women. As we know, dementia affects the people around the person experiencing it too. In Australia more than 1.6 million people are involved in the care of someone living with dementia.
“The condition and its wider impacts are a global health concern and I’m delighted to be working with colleagues on the other side of the world to develop new knowledge and understanding to support those it most affects.”
The Australian Dementia Learning and Research Community is funded by the Australian Research Council and led by Associate Professor Darshini Ayton, Deputy Head of the Health and Social Care Unit at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. She said: “The Australian landscape of dementia awareness, diagnosis and care is complex as Australia has a small population with diverse communities on a large continent. We hope that by drawing on the experience of the Liverpool Dementia & Ageing Research Forum we can create a community that brings people together to connect, share dementia experiences and knowledge across expertise and interests in a manner that is relevant to the Australian context.”
Associate Professor Darshini Ayton and Dr Clarissa Giebel
More about the Monash University Dementia Learning and Research Community
The Australian Dementia Learning and Research Community has been designed through a series of workshops with people living with dementia, former and current caregivers, health and aged care professionals and researchers. The purpose is to unite people with expertise or interest in dementia in an inclusive community to share knowledge, experiences, and insights that enhance understanding, care practices and research in Australia. This will be via a virtual learning platform with online discussion forums, webinars and panel events, networking and more.
Recent successes of the Liverpool Dementia & Ageing Research Forum
Since being established in 2019 by the by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast (ARC NWC), the dementia forum has made a huge impact in improving the lives of people living with dementia and their families and unpaid carers. In recent years highlights include:
- Launch of Dementia Inequalities Game. The game illustrates barriers that people come up against both pre and post dementia diagnosis as well as the support available and the positive impact this can have. The game is now being rolled out in teaching across 10 Universities and being adapted into different languages, including German, Irish, and Portuguese.
- Securing £1.5m to establish the first national network dedicated to finding solutions to inequalities in dementia diagnosis and care and continuing the work of the forum. ESRC Equalities in Dementia (EquaDem) Network Plus is funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Hear more
In the latest Original Ideas Podcast, Dr Clarissa Giebel discusses her research to improve awareness, diagnosis, care, support and inequalities for those living with dementia and their families.
Original Ideas Podcast Episode 6: Dementia is available to stream now via the University of Liverpool website and popular podcast platforms.