19th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of ADI October 2016 Glenn Rees AM Chair, ADI

Why are DFCs important? DFCS HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT DEMENTIA Two different but complementary objectives 1: To reduce stigma and promote awareness – the lived experience 2: To empower people living with dementia to take decisions about their lives – the rights approach

Four expressions of dementia friendliness Human rights: being inclusive and supporting and protecting the rights of a person with dementia Awareness: tackling stigma and lack of community understanding of dementia Health and services: increasing the capability of the health and care workforce Improving the physical environment: residential care, public spaces - the Ageing Cities movement

Two new Dementia Friendly Communities publications launched in 2016 www.alz.co.uk/DFC

Dementia Friendly and Disabilities We should actively seek to work with and learn from the disabilities sector. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Community Based Rehabilitation have lessons for the way we think about and implement DFCs. The challenge is to focus on dementia while drawing on the experience of the disabilities sector.

Why a focus is needed on dementia Social action through DFCs may help because: An approach is needed which is direct and positive and moves away from past stereotypes. Social action is needed to bring together people with dementia and the wider community DFCs have already proven to have appeal across different cultures and geography. It has proved difficult over time to get a political and policy focus to get action on dementia e.g. in healthy ageing, ageing cities movement. Important to emphasise the point that dementia is both a social and a medical condition.

The opportunities National monitoring of the CRPD in partnership with disabilities organisations. Dementia included with the terms of CRPD but not reported upon Much to learn from the CBR: the need for workers who are able to support the implementation of social action, care in the way the term rehabilitation is interpreted, despite the success of CBR it may only reach 10 per cent of individuals who could benefit, the difficulties of gaining inter agency co-operation New training resources for human rights: the Bridge http://www.iddcconsortium.net/news/iddc-ida-bridge-training-bangkok

Conclusion During and after this Conference I hope you will take the opportunity to reflect on How you can work with disabilities organisations in your country to monitor the rights of people with dementia Encourage your government with the help of disabilities organisations to monitor dementia within the CRPD Take the time to investigate the CBR and the Bridge to see what you can learn in the context of dementia friendly communities.

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