The Dementia Research Advisory Team (DRAT) at The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) is a group of people either living with or supporting someone with dementia, who work with researchers to help inform and shape their research. When the pandemic hit, it felt like so many of the researchers The ASI had worked with simply disappeared. However, in retrospect, like everyone else, researchers just didn't know what to do for the best and many simply put their plans on hold.
In an effort to be more proactive, DRAT organised a webinar held on Wednesday, 14th October, for researchers to reassure them that there are people with dementia and care partners still willing to support their work and to help and guide them to do good research in this area. The webinar was an opportunity for researchers to hear people with dementia and their peers to talk about their experience of working together during the pandemic, to hear a funder reassuring them that patient and public involvement in research is still a priority but, most of all, it showed people with dementia actively working and communicating through a digital platform. The ASI was delighted to have 52 attendees and videos of the webinar will be available on www.alzheimer.ie in the coming weeks.
Speakers included:
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Ms Ciara O’Reilly (DRAT) (MC)
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Mr Sean Mackell (DRAT)
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Ms Carmel Geoghegan (DRAT)
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Mr Kevin Quaid (DRAT)
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Mr Michael Foley (PPI Ignite, Trinity College Dublin)
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Dr Andrew Wormald (University of Limerick, Ireland)
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Dr Anne Cody (The Health Research Board)
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Dr Laura O’Philbin and Dr Bernadette Rock (ASI).
