Living with Dementia Reconsidered

“An excellent resource… This is a book that makes a step-change in our knowledge and thinking on dementia and how living well with dementia might be defined.”
Professor Charles Musselwhite, Head of Psychology, Aberystwyth University, UK 

“This book is a beacon of hope and inspiration for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers alike.”
Professor Emma Wolverson, Professor of Ageing and Dementia, University of West London / Research Lead, Dementia UK

“This book teaches us about what it means to live well with dementia and also how it can be supported, truly inspiring.”
Professor Yun-Hee Jeon, Professor of Healthy Ageing, The University of Sydney, Australia

What does it mean to ‘live well’ with dementia? Why does this matter? And what could we do to help?

Drawing on a decade of rigorous research and with the direct input of people with dementia and their carers, this book unveils the findings from IDEAL (Improving the Experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life), the largest community-based dementia study in Great Britain, highlighting critical factors that significantly influence quality of life for both individuals with dementia and their carers.

Gain first-hand insights from those living with dementia and the research team, exploring how different aspects of our lives intertwine to influence feelings of contentment and inclusion, or distress and exclusion. Each chapter culminates in a robust, evidence-based statement, building towards a compelling manifesto that advocates for a paradigm shift in how we understand and support people living with dementia and their carers.

This book:
Is uniquely co-produced with experts by experienceIs centred around a ten-point manifesto which is call for action to improve the lives of people living with dementiaDraws on the evidence of a ten-year research programme and over eighty scientific papersLiving with Dementia Reconsidered offers a holistic approach to reconsidering living with dementia from both evidence-based and experiential perspectives. This is a book for all those involved with dementia: students, practitioners, professionals, researchers, carers, family, friends, and people living with dementia.

The Reconsidering Dementia Series is an interdisciplinary series published by Open University Press that covers contemporary issues to challenge and engage readers in thinking deeply about the topic. The dementia fi eld has developed rapidly in its scope and practice over the past ten years and books in this series will unpack not only what this means for the student, academic and practitioner, but also for all those affected by dementia.

Series Editors: Dr Keith Oliver and Professor Dawn Brooker MBE.

Linda Clare is Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing and Dementia at the University of Exeter Medical School, UK and Director of the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Dementia and Neurodegeneration, University of Exeter, UK.

Catherine Charlwood is the Stakeholder Engagement and Impact Manager for the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Dementia and Neurodegeneration, University of Exeter, UK.

Catherine Quinn is Associate Professor at the Centre for Applied Dementia Studies at the University of Bradford, UK.

Christina Victor is Professor of Gerontology and Public Health in the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences and Associate PVC for Research Culture and Governance at Brunel University of London, UK.