Welcome, we’re glad you are here
The Forward with Dementia website was created to challenge negative stereotypes about dementia. It provides guidance after a diagnosis of dementia, and enables people with dementia and their care partners to lead fulfilling lives with dementia.
The website seeks to change the narrative of ‘there is nothing that can be done’ to one that reinforces the strengths people with dementia have. It aims to motivate people to live as well as possible.
Forward with Dementia is brought to you by an international partnership of clinicians, researchers, people with dementia and care partners across five countries: Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Poland and the UK. We share a common mission to better support people with dementia and care partners after diagnosis.
Forward with Dementia is the result of an international research project, COGNISANCE.
COGNISANCE was awarded by the European Union (EU) Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND), a global research initiative aimed at tackling the challenge of neurodegenerative diseases.
JPND aims to increase coordination between participating countries in research aimed at finding causes, developing cures, and identifying appropriate ways to care for those with neurodegenerative diseases. National health and medical funding bodies in each country funded this work. The World Health Organisation, Alzheimer’s Disease International and Dementia Alliance International are collaborators.
The international consortium is led by Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Lead investigators are:
- Professor Lee-Fay Low, University of Sydney, Australia
- Professor Yun-Hee Jeon, University of Sydney, Australia
- Associate Professor Lyn Phillipson, University of Wollongong, Australia
- Associate Professor Isabelle Vedel, McGill University, Canada
- Associate Professor Carrie McAiney, University of Waterloo, Canada
- Professor Shelley Doucet, University of New Brunswick, Canada
- Professor Frans Verhey, Maastricht University, Netherlands
- Professor Greta Rait, University College London, UK
- Professor Dame Louise Robinson, Newcastle University, UK
- Professor Joanna Rymaszewska, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland
With collaborators:
- Ms Kate Swaffer, Dementia Alliance International
- Ms Wendy Weidner, Alzheimer’s Disease International
- Dr Katrin Seeher, World Health Organization
Lead investigators in Canada are supported by a team of co-leads, project coordinators, and research assistants across Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. The Canadian team also has received funding from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the Government of New Brunswick’s Healthy Seniors Pilot Project (HSPP).
Website design is in collaboration with Spencer duBois, UK.
We extend sincere thanks to the people living with dementia, care partners and health professionals who have generously given of their time and expertise to contribute to this work.
Again, welcome. We invite you to explore this website and engage with us to make difference in the lives of people with dementia and those that provide support.
If you would like to help us move this site forward and improve its features and articles, please visit our research page.