AGEING & DEMENTIA SEMINAR SERIES 2011
Guest Speaker Seminar hosted by Lid

Wednesday 18th April 2012

 2.00pm - 3.30pm

For bookings, phone Caroline at 01 896 2442 or email forsytc@tcd.ie.

Speaker: Patricia McParland, PhD Candidate School of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling

Dementia is a condition that people live with on a daily basis and the way in which the general public understands and views dementia has important repercussions for the quality of life of people with dementia. Stigma and misunderstanding can have a devastating impact on a person’s experience of dementia, can influence the types of interactions they are likely to have with other people, and can prevent people with dementia from living well with the condition. While considerable research has examined the attitudes of professionals and carers to dementia, there is less research examining the attitudes of the general public. In this seminar, Patricia McParland outlines the approach she has taken in her PhD research exploring how the general public understands dementia. Her PhD is a three-year mixed method study comprising a literature review, followed by an attitudinal survey in Northern Ireland completed by 1,200 people, from which respondents were randomly selected to participate in five focus groups. She presents the initial findings from her research and considers the implications of these initial findings for us as a society.

The seminar will be of interest to practitioners, policymakers, researchers, advocates and anyone working in or with an interest in the field of dementia as well as people with dementia and their families.

More info: http://www.socialwork-socialpolicy.tcd.ie/livingwithdementia/forthcoming/