Using Deliberative Democracy to generate recommendations to support people living with dementia to walk safely

Recording

Speaker

Assoc. Prof. Margaret MacAndrew
Associate Professor
School of Nursing
Queensland University of Technology

Bio

Associate Professor MacAndrew is a registered nurse with nearly 30 years clinical experience. Her most recent clinical practice was in residential aged care where she was responsible for the coordinated care of the frail aged and people living with dementia. Since completing her PhD in 2014, she has been an academic in the QUT School of Nursing where she coordinates the first-year clinical unit. She is also the Director of Dementia Training Australia for Queensland and Northern Territory. Her program of research focuses on improving quality of life and safety for people living with dementia through improved assessment and use of non-pharmacological interventions, particularly in residential care.

Abstract

People with dementia who are independently mobile and have damage to the areas of the brain responsible for navigation, are a greater risk of leaving a safe environment and not being able to return home safely without assistance. People with dementia getting lost is a global phenomenon with an estimated 60% of people living with dementia experiencing at least one getting lost event during the disease trajectory. One in five land searches conducted by Police in Queensland involve a person with dementia and nearly 20% will be found injured or seriously unwell and a further 20% will not be found alive. This study used Deliberative democracy, a process whereby key stakeholders are brought together to debate a topic, to determine what strategies should be adopted in Australia to support people living with dementia to continue to enjoy the benefits of walking while maintaining their safety. In this presentation I will share the experience of conducting a Deliberative Democracy and the recommendations generated from this research.