Last month, almost 140 people gathered for the 5th annual Liverpool Dementia and Ageing Research Conference.

Hosted by the University of Liverpool, the conference brought together dementia and ageing experts from a variety of backgrounds. At the event were health and social care professionals, charity providers and those with lived experience of dementia. Through talks, discussions and workshops the one-day event sought to find collaborative solutions to the issues that affect hundreds of thousands of people every year.

Speaking at the conference were Professor Claudia Cooper from Queen Mary University of London and Christophe Bintener from Alzheimer Europe. Claudia talked about inequalities and dementia care while Christophe told delegates about his work at Alzheimer Europe to raise awareness of the condition.

Dr Clarissa Giebel, Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool also paid tribute to Private Eye cartoonist, Tony Husband who recently died. Tony was due to attend the conference and reflect on his father’s experience with dementia and his book, Take Care, Son.

Dr Clarissa Giebel, Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool and Senior Research fellow at ARC NWC said: “I was really sad to hear of Tony’s passing and it was important for us to pay tribute to him at the conference. We shared images of his illustrations which powerfully show the challenges dementia brings – in a way that words can never convey. His contribution to addressing inequalities in dementia care leave a lasting legacy and he will be missed.

“What was most heartening about the conference was the collective determination to tackle this growing national issue. I’m incredibly proud the conference is in its fifth year and our work will continue to grow and develop from it.”

Presentation shows illustrations about dementia
Tony Husband’s work was celebrated during the conference

FURTHER INFO
More than 900,000 people are living with dementia in the UK, with numbers expected to reach 1 million by 2024. It is one of the main causes of disability later in life, ahead of cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Dementia is a global public health concern, which not only affects the person living with the condition, but also their family members and friends.

The conference is hosted by the Liverpool Dementia & Ageing Research Forum which was set up by the NIHR ARC NWC at the University of Liverpool in 2019. The Forum has grown rapidly, with national and international engagement. The event is also supported by ARC NWC.