4:30-5:30 p.m

92-C. Placing Individuals with Dementia at the Head of the Table

Have you ever participated in a meeting between a healthcare provider and a person living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment? You may have noticed an unsettling practice. The healthcare professional likely spoke to the caregiver instead of addressing the person with lived experience. This session will offer strategies to ensure that individuals with dementia always sit at the head of the table during discussions about them. Presenters who are living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment will help you understand how they lost, and eventually regained, decision-making authority after a dementia diagnosis. Representatives from the Dementia Action Alliance will offer tips for providing genuine, person-directed care that engages individuals with dementia at every step.

• Michelle Daniel, CEO, The Eden Alternative — Rochester, NY, USA
• Mark Timmons, Expert in Lived Experience, Advisory Board Member, Dementia Action Alliance — Boston, MA, USA