Global Action on Personhood in Dementia

GAP (Global Action on Personhood) in Dementia is an informal international network of expert practitioners, researchers, educators, people living with dementia and family care-givers who have in-depth understanding of person-centred approaches to care world-wide.

Photos copyright Cathy Greenblat, cathy@LoveLossAndLaughter.com

The aim of GAP is to promote the fact that personhood matters in dementia and that unless action is taken then the psychological, emotional and social needs of people living with dementia are unmet. There is a lot of knowledge about how to provide skilled care, support and assistance but there is a disconnect to this getting into practice.

This is a global challenge and demands a global response in the same way as finding a cure for dementia. No single country has found a solution for how we manage this on a large scale although many have islands of good practice. GAP in dementia will promote channels to change this.

By delivering skilled care we can prevent the excess disabilities, distress and harm caused by poor quality care. Getting this right would mean recognition of the needs of people living with dementia, an end to inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing and use of physical restraint, and greater inclusiveness of people with dementia in society world-wide.

Aims

The overarching aim of GAP is to spread best practice world-wide. Actions might include:

To share good practice globally, what “good looks like” across the diversity of contexts and situations in which people with dementia need skilled care
To develop easy to access channels of communication for the dissemination of research, education and practice development programmes world wide
To identify person centred care competencies, skills and knowledge across countries.
To provide international exchanges, placements and development schemes for innovators.

Find out more

For more information, read our GAP in Dementia document or contact a member of the core group.

Our core group consists of a wide variety of academics, professionals, people living with a diagnosis and those with family care experience who work at a high level within their own countries and internationally to promote skilled care in dementia. Countries represented include Australia, Canada, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.

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