In November 2015, the Institute of Mental Health and the School of English launched Dementia Day-to-Day – a new platform offering unique perspectives on dementia from as many angles as possible.

The initiative takes the form of a series of blogs on the Improving Dementia Education and Awareness (IDEA) website, and now features over a year’s worth of online diaries, reflective pieces and guest posts from experts each with their own experience of, and interest in, dementia. Alongside more medical perspectives, this includes personal, social and cultural takes on dementia – a variety of commentaries designed to be informative, engaging and (always) accessible.

Visit the IDEA website to read the blogs. Highlights include:

• Poetry and dementia: a brief interview with Sir Andrew Motion, former Poet Laureate
• Meeting the day-to-day needs of dementia patients, by Professor Alistair Burns, National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older Peoples’ Mental Health
• Prescribed Disengagement® by Kate Swaffer, author and international dementia activist

2016 was a busy year for the University in terms of tackling dementia. Following a campaign asking staff, student and alumni to become Dementia Friends, the Alzheimer’s Society named Nottingham the first dementia-friendly university. This accreditation reflects our status as a space that takes responsibility to ensure that people with dementia feel understood and valued. It was partly awarded in recognition of the University’s world-leading research into earlier diagnosis and improved treatment for dementia, which received £359,142 as a result of Life Cycle 5 fundraising.

In August, a ground-breaking project began researching the needs and experiences of people affected by dementia in rural areas, led by Dr Fiona Marshall, Alzheimer’s Society Senior Research Fellow at the University. More recently, as part of the Disability December events programme, Professor Justine Schneider, PhD candidate Emily Cousins and Dr Lycia Teo discussed the dementia-friendly project at a screening of Still Alice at the Broadway Cinema.

The work continues alongside the research of the Centre for Dementia in the Institute of Mental Health, Jubilee Campus, with five new PhD students starting and a busy programme of research, teaching and public engagement activities taking place in 2017.

Dementia Day-to-Day is always looking for new writers from across all disciplines (and you don’t have to be an expert in dementia to contribute!). If you’re interested in getting involved, please email Dr Kevin Harvey.