MinD Symposium 2016

Prof Kristina Niedderer, University of Wolverhampton (project coordinator)

Prof. Cathy Treadaway, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK
Prof Treadaway will introduce the LAUGH project, which she leads, and then focus on working with users during the research, including data collection and co-design methods, and how this has fed into the design development.

Led by members of the consortium

The design workshop will explore and discuss potential design responses to some of the key issues that are emerging from the initial data collection, relating to social engagement, well-being and decision-making.

Panel members: Representatives from the fields of design and dementia care, including: Prof Cathy Treadaway, UK; Sara Miles, Alzheimer’s Society UK, Prof Vjera Holthoff, Germany; Prof Tom Dening, UK

The panel discussion, will address the two themes complemented by topics from the symposium participants:
– independence and social integration: how design can help support independence and self-empowerment to support social engagement rather than to create isolation; and
– the approach to design for healthcare/dementia: appropriateness of approaches and the discrepancy between technology and user led approaches.

Panel speakers:
Prof Cathy Treadaway, Professor of Creative Practice, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, has key interests in creativity and wellbeing and in designing for dementia, and is principle investigator for the LAUGH project (Ludic Artifacts Using Gesture and Haptics)
Sara Miles leads the Dementia Friendly Communities Programme at Alzheimer’s Society. With a background within the third sector she is passionate about enabling community change. In her 3 years at Alzheimer’s Society she has worked across Dementia Friends and Dementia Friendly Communities, supporting partnerships with external organisations and evolving the programmes. Sara is currently working with housing sector organisations to produce a dementia-friendly housing charter highlighting best practice and commitments around design, training and processes that can improve the lives of people affected by dementia.
Prof Vjera Holthoff, Germany. Vjera (MD, PhD, Gero-psychiatry) specialises in non-pharmacol. interventions in dementia, telemedicine, and neurocognition.
Prof Tom Dening, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Tom has 20 years experience as consultant working with dementia and in dementia research.