Dott Blog - Alzheimer100

Better Lives With Dementia - Group Discussion Transcript

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:15:00+0100

After presentations from Professor Jim Edwardson, Doctor Susanne Sorensen and thinkpublic, everyone gathered together to discuss dementia.

Below is a transcript of the discussion. You can also listen again to the group discussion. (22.3MB, 48.35mins)

John Thackara: So we discovered there was a physical impediment to our making a perfect circle of these chairs, that we would have had to unhook them all, which was beyond the powers of our limited organisation, so every day we’re making it a bit rounder, but it’s a rather strange kind of bent horseshoe at the moment. The basic concept is that we’re now going to talk to each other on a 100% equal basis.

I haven't had a chance to talk this through in any great detail with Alastair, but my suggestion is that for 15 minutes or so we would focus on the four stories that we haven't heard from – that is to say the next stage of developing services in response to the opportunities we heard.

Then if Alastair, if you could take charge for the last 15, 20 minutes in making sure we come to some kind of conclusion and answer the questions that you set us at the beginning of the afternoon. Would that be a good way to do it? Are you happy with that? [More]

Better Lives With Dementia - Speaker Transcript Part Two

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:45:00+0100

After introduction presentations by Professor Jim Edwardson and Doctor Susanne Sorensen, thinkpublic a public service and communication design agency, and senior producers of the Dott 07 project Alzheimer100 took to the stage.

Speakers Part Two:
Deborah Szebeko, thinkpublic. Listen again (4.28MB, 9.15mins)
Ian Drysdale, thinkpublic. Listen again (2.44MB, 5.20mins)
Ivo Gormley, thinkpublic. Listen again (2.78MB, 6.02mins) [More]

Better Lives With Dementia - Speaker Transcript Part One

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:15:00+0100

Dott 07’s Alzheimer100 project charted the key stages of the journey through dementia in collaboration with people with dementia and their carers. What opportunities for service design innovation exist on that journey? Service ideas that emerged from co-design workshops range from time banking to assistive technology.

This debate, organised in conjunction with the Alzheimer's Society nationally, considered how to amplify the role of citizen co-design in service innovation for health and care.

Read the transcript or listen again below. [More]

Dott Debates - Friday 19 October

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:49:00+0100

It's your last chance to reserve your seat at two very interesting Dott Debates taking place tomorrow (Friday 19 October) during the Dott 07 Festival. Come along and join the debates on Design and Sexual Health and Better Lives With Dementia. Both debates will take place at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. Full details below.

The Design and Sexual Health debate will look specifically at the lessons learned from Dott 07’s DaSH project. DaSH confronted a challenge: sexual health services don’t always reach those most in need. Are our services looking after the nations’ sexual health? What’s stopping them? [More]

The Health Zone at the Dott 07 Festival

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:04:00+0100

In two innovative and forward-thinking projects, Design and Sexual Health (DaSH) and Alzheimer100, Dott 07 worked with designers to tackle key problems in the areas of Sexual Health and Alzheimer’s. Stigma is a big hurdle to solving many of the problems with the current systems already in place. I mean, who wants to talk about Chlamydia at a family meal with the Grandparents - but think about it - why shouldn’t sexual health problems that affect an increasing number of our teenage population be on the menu? One can only guess that in the Netherlands, where sexual health problems among teenagers are the lowest in Europe, that the topic is discussed any time, any place, any where. [More]

Think Alzheimer's

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:29:00+0100

An extraordinary event happened yesterday at the Culture Lab in Newcastle upon Tyne. Over 100 academics, healthcare professionals, service providers and designers met with people with dementia and their carers to address the key problems around the services available for people with dementia. A huge amount is already known about dementia so, you might ask, what is so extraordinary about this gathering? Well, for the first time, Dott 07 are placing people with dementia and their carers at the centre of the design process and their knowledge will have a direct impact on any future proposals to be made. Professor Jim Edwardson, Vice-President of the Alzheimer's Society and ex-Director of the Institute for Ageing and Health says, 'it is absolutely clear that people with dementia and carers have to be the first in the design process. It's no good giving people what they don't want and can't use.' Sensible words indeed but not ones that have not been followed to date. [More]