It’s Dementia Action Week in Australia – hear what the experts are saying
Western Sydney University experts are available to comment on important topics during Dementia Action Week (16-22 September), including caring for those with dementia, prevention, the impact of music and more.
Associate Professor Joyce Siette, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, dementia diagnosis, prevention, and care
Associate Professor Siette is a health services researcher committed to enhancing dementia diagnosis, prevention, and care. Her work spans various areas, including initiatives to educate preschool children on brain health, public health programs (opens in a new window) aimed at preventing dementia in culturally and linguistically diverse populations (opens in a new window), and the innovative use of virtual reality (VR) technology to aid in early diagnosis. By integrating technology and community-based approaches, her research aims to bridge gaps in how we conduct dementia research across different demographics, with a focus on inclusivity and accessibility.
“Brain health education must start early, ideally in childhood, to build those lifelong habits that can reduce the risk of cognitive decline. We need to have initiatives aimed at teaching brain health to young children and shifting the focus from reactive care to proactive prevention."
“Dementia prevention efforts must be inclusive, accounting for the unique cultural and linguistic needs of our communities. Tailored, accessible and equitable public health programs groups are key to care and support."
Dr Sandra Garrido, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, arts/music for dementia
Dr Garrido is a Senior Research Fellow at the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour & Development at Western Sydney University. She has a background in both psychology and music and has been the recipient of an NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Fellowship in 2016 and the Western Sydney University Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2017. Her work focuses on translational research involving arts for mental health and wellbeing, in particular with people with dementia and depression. She has authored over 90 academic publications including a book entitled Why We Are Attracted to Sad Music? (2017)
"Personalised care is so important in improving quality of life in people living with dementia, and of course music is one of the most personal parts of our daily lives. Caregivers can use music to re-connect people with happy memories and their very sense of self-identity, while supporting them with some of the most challenging symptoms they experience."
“We have developed online training courses and web-based resources (opens in a new window) that can be used by aged care providers, or those who have family members living with dementia, to create personalised music programs.”
Associate Professor Celia Harris, MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, cognitive science
Associate Professor Harris’ research is focused on the ways that the external environment becomes part of our cognition, and how environments can be made better to support cognition and memory especially in aged care settings.
“All our lives, we rely on the people, tools, and environment around us to support our cognition and help access our memories, and this doesn’t change when we are older or when we have dementia. Often with memory, it is easy to focus on what is lost when people experience cognitive decline, but people sometimes can remember more than we think and connect to their past and their sense of self, when they are given the right support. The right support might be a rich social environment of people providing reminders and prompts, or a room full of mementoes.”
“My work aims to make everyday aged care environments the kind of environments that support cognition and connect people to their sense of self and to those around them.”
ENDS
16 September 2024
Lauren Coskerie, Senior Media Officer
Photo credit: Danie Franco via Unsplash
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