On 7 October, during the 34th Alzheimer Europe Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Kevin Quaid (Chair of the European Working Group of People with Dementia, EWGPWD) had the difficult task of officially saying farewell on behalf of the EWGPWD to Pia Knudsen (Denmark). Pia has young onset dementia and is passionate about her work as an arts teacher. Her membership in the EWGPWD concluded in June, after having been a member of the group since October 2022. Kevin expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Pia for her significant contribution to the EWGPWD during this time.
In September 2024, Real Larnou (Belgium) decided, for personal reasons, to step down from the EWGPWD. Prior to his diagnosis of dementia in 2021, Real had worked in the banking industry and as a relationship manager for the agricultural sector. He was nominated by Ligue Nationale Alzheimer Liga to join the EWGPWD in October 2022. All members of the EWGPWD and the Alzheimer Europe team wish Pia and Real well on their future journeys and hope that their paths cross again. Pia and Real’s dedication and hard work have left a lasting impact, and they will always be remembered fondly.
Pictured: (top) Pia Knudsen and Kevin Quaid at this year’s Alzheimer Europe Conference in Geneva; (bottom) Real Larnou (second from left) with other EWGPWD members at last year’s Alzheimer Europe Conference in Helsinki