Principal speaker
Dr Cindy Jones
Menzies Health Institute Queensland
Optimising Health Outcomes Program
Dementia Awareness Month Event
Title
The elephant in the room: Sexual expression of people with dementia
Abstract
Prejudicial attitudes of an asexual older population exist among health professionals. Alongside a societal belief that sexual needs and behavior are only for those who are “cognitively intact”, there is also a lack of regard for the concerns of non-heterosexual people with dementia. Sexual expression by people with dementia within an aged care context is a confronting and challenging issue for service providers and health professionals. During this seminar, Dr Jones will discuss this neglected aspect of care for people living with dementia.
Biography
Dr Cindy Jones is a Research Fellow with the Menzies Health Institute Queensland - Optimising Health Outcomes program at Griffith University. The focus of her work includes the use of technology to engage people with dementia; exploration of relationships in long-term care; expression of sexualities by older people; and quality of and evidence based dementia care. This work is being developed around the key areas of knowledge transfer and workforce training and development. In her recent research on social and telepresence robots, she developed a video coding protocol and scale to assess engagement in people with dementia.
Dr Jones is also a leading educator on sexualities and dementia in Australia. Her work includes the Sexualities & Dementia: An Online Education Resource for Health Professional (2013), funded by the Department of Health and Ageing via the Queensland Dementia Training Study Centre. This work has received extensive media coverage in Australia, as well as significant research and policy interest.
Please RSVP here. This is for MenziesHIQ to stay in touch with you to advise of any potential changes, should they occur.
September is Dementia Awareness Month
The purpose of Dementia Awareness Month is to encourage Australians to become dementia-aware, have a better understanding of what it is like for a person to live with dementia, and ultimately be encouraged to create communities where people with dementia are supported to live a high quality of life with meaning, purpose and value. The theme for 2017 is You are not alone and the main activities are a series of seminars with international and local dementia experts and key note speakers. Read more here.
Event categories
RSVP
RSVP on or before Friday 8 September 2017 , by email oho@griffith.edu.au , or by phone (07) 3735 7212