Inspirational dementia advocate, Kathy Ryan, has been voted in as the new Chair of the Irish Dementia Working Group (IDWG), as the group held their first national meeting at the Ashling Hotel in Dublin, on 23 September, to mark World Alzheimer’s Month 2019. This meeting aimed to encourage other people living with dementia to have their voice heard and to work towards upholding the human rights of people with this condition.
The IDWG is a national advocacy group which is supported by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. The IDWG gives voice to the lived experience of dementia and has over 25 active members all of whom have a diagnosis of some form of dementia. Members range in age from 40 to 79 and are from all corners of the country.
Kathy Ryan was voted in as the new Chair of the IDWG, with a two-year term of office, by her fellow advocates and members of the group, with Limerick native, Kevin Quaid, voted in as new Vice-Chair of the group. A new steering committee has also been voted in today with the new members including Jacinta Dixon, Sean Mackel and Marguerite Keating as IDWG Steering Group members.
The full IDWG Steering Committee now consists of Kathy Ryan (Chair); Kevin Quaid (Vice-Chair); Dr Helen Rochford-Brennan (Chair of European Working Group of People with Dementia); Jacinta Dixon, Sean Mackel and Marguerite Keating as IDWG Steering Group members. Ronan Smith is the outgoing Chair of the IDWG.
