#BeTheChange2017
Keynote Speakers
Christine Bryden, Author, Dementia Advocate
Christine Bryden was only 46 when she was
diagnosed with dementia in 1995 after experiencing
symptoms of what she thought was stress,
including terrible headaches, which is why she had
a brain scan that showed the brain damage was
already well under way. Rather than accepting the
passive role expected of a person with dementia Christine has
become an internationally renowned advocate for all people living
with dementia. She has written four best-selling books that have
been translated into seven languages. The latest, Before I Forget,
was released in 2016
Kate Swaffer, 2017 SA Australian Of The Year
Kate is a humanitarian, an activist, a speaker and
a widely published academic and author. She has
a Master’s of Science in Dementia Care (2014), is
a retired nurse. She is the current Chair, CEO and
co-founder of the Dementia Alliance International,
a PhD Candidate at the University of Wollongong,
a full member of the World Dementia Council, and Regional
Ambassador for SE Asia and a board member of Alzheimer’s
Disease International.
Prof Dawn Brooker, Director, Association for Dementia
Studies, University of Worcester
Dawn is dedicated to developing evidence
based practical ways to enable those living with
dementia to have the best possible quality of
life. She is committed to real knowledge transfer
and translation between researchers, carers and
people living with dementia. Dawn is the UK lead
on the EU-JPND funded Meeting Centres Support Programme,
the lead for the Alzheimer’s Society UK Doctoral Training and
for the Global Action on Personhood international network,
(GAP) of expert practitioners, researchers, academics, people
living with dementia and family care-givers who have in-depth
understanding of person-centred approaches to care world-wide.
Nick Ryan, CEO, Australian Aged Care Quality Agency
Nick is responsible for accreditation and quality
in Commonwealth funded residential and home
care as well as industry education. Nick was
the CEO, Aged Care Queensland (later LASA)
and a senior executive in a range of Queensland
Government agencies. He has sat on the Brisbane
Catholic Education Council, the Council of the Institute of Public
Administration Qld and the Board of the Leukaemia Foundation
of Queensland. Nick Ryan is a Board Member of Care Quality
Authority (ACECQA).
Naomi Feil, Executive Director, Validation Training Institute
Naomi developed the internationally recognised
Validation method in response to her dissatisfaction
with traditional methods of support of severely
disoriented people. She grew up in the Montefiore
Home for the Aged in Cleveland, USA, where her
parents worked. With a Masters in Social Work,
Columbia University, Naomi has worked with older people since
1963 through to 1980 at Montefiore Homes and as Adjunct
Instructor at the School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western
Reserve University. She has authored numerous books, her most
acclaimed, The Validation Breakthrough, now in its third edition.
She has toured the world offering workshops in Validation.
Dr Cameron J Camp, Director Research and Development,
Centre for Applied Research in Dementia
Cameron is a noted psychologist specialising in
applied research in gerontology. He facilitates
workshops on designing cognitive and behavioural
interventions for dementia internationally. He is
a world renowned specialist in integrating the
Montessori method in to dementia practice. These
interventions are all designed to reduce challenging behaviours
and increase the level of functioning of persons with dementia.
He has co-authored three college textbooks and published over
100 peer-reviewed articles.
Joanne Marriott
Joanne has significant experience helping
organisations meet their objectives whether
chairing a strategic planning session or leading a
workshop on leveraging Emotional Intelligence to
help drive change initiatives. Joanne has regularly
presented to the Alzheimer’s Australia Cert IV
Dementia Practice. She is accredited in the Genos Emotional
Intelligence Assessment scale. Joanne has management
experience in Canada and since 1997, in Australia.
A/Prof Alan Duffy, Research Fellow, Lecturer in Physics,
Swinburne University - Master of Ceremonies
Alan understands how galaxies form and grow
within vast halos of invisible dark matter that hold it
together. He is a sought after media commentator
explaining the latest scientific discoveries with ABC
TV Breakfast News, Ten’s The Project, ABC Radio
Melbourne, Sydney and TripleJ. In addition, Alan is a
contributor to one of Australia’s most popular science magazines
Cosmos and has his own column in The Conversation. Most
recently he featured in Todd Sampson’s Life on the Line.
Keep an eye on the website for pre-conference
workshop times with some of these keynotes and
further speaker announcements.
For more information or to register
dementia2017.org