Adjusting to dementia before and after a diagnosis - FPOP

About

Date: 18 June 2025

Webinar time: 11:30-13:00

The event will be taking place on Zoom

This webinar brings together research evidence and clinical practice to look at how psychologists and others can support people living with dementia to adjust emotionally to their diagnosis. The webinar will look at best practice around pre-diagnostic counselling, the disclosure process and support after a diagnosis.

Alice Russell has been working for the last five years on the DETERMIND research project which is looking into the inequalities and inequities in peoples care following a diagnosis of dementia. She has now begun a PhD nested within the study focusing on the disclosure of a dementia diagnosis. Her project is looking to develop a clinicians' competencies measure (CCM) for successful disclosure of dementia diagnosis from the perspective of people living with dementia and their carers. The hope is that this measure can then be used across research and clinical practice to improve the quality of a dementia diagnosis.

Anna Buckell is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist currently working clinically within dementia services in Nottinghamshire working in older adult mental health services, including services for people with dementia. Her research has focussed on the experiences of service users, carers and members of staff of these services and implementing service developments to enhance this experience. This has particularly focussed on the process of dementia assessment and experience of living with dementia. She has been involved in a national project looking at best practice in diagnosing dementia in younger people and am currently working on a piece of research exploring staff members' knowledge and skills around issues in accessing these services for people who are LGBT+

Ben Hicks is a Principal Research Fellow at Nottingham University. For the past 6 years he has managed the ESRC/NIHR funded DETERMIND programme. Ben's research seeks to understand and address inequalities in the post-diagnostic care pathway for people with dementia and their carers to support better well-being and life quality. Prior to managing DETERMIND, Ben was a Psychology Lecturer at Bournemouth University.

Joanne Martin is a clinical psychologist with 20 years' experience of working in Older Adult Mental Health in Worcestershire with the last 7 years being in the Early Intervention Dementia Service. During her time with EIDS she has seen the significant benefit of pre-assessment counselling in supporting the adjustment to a possible dementia diagnosis throughout the assessment and diagnostic process and beyond.

Marie Janes is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Dementia Research at Leeds Beckett University. Her PhD, funded by the NIHR, included research that focused on pre-assessment counselling in dementia care and supporting people living with dementia, their carers, and healthcare professionals prior to diagnosis. She has a particular interest in improving communication and decision-making within dementia diagnostic pathways. Marie is a mixed-methods researcher and has a strong skill set in communication, assessment and intervention. She is passionate about contributing to advancements in neuropsychology and dementia care and is committed to research that drives positive changes in healthcare practices. 

Richard Cheston is Professor of Dementia Research at UWE Bristol. Before taking up this post he worked for over 20 years as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the NHS. Until recently he provided a psychotherapy clinic at a local memory assessment centre which focussed on supporting people living with dementia to adjust to the condition. He has a specific research interest in supporting psychological responses to the existential threat of dementia and the role of post-diagnostic support. He has published over 100 papers, book chapters and journal articles as well as four books, including Dementia and Psychotherapy Reconsidered in 2022.

Tanya Knibbs is an Advanced Clinical Practitioners who works for the Early Intervention Dementia Service Team in Worcestershire. She has worked for the team since it was first set up in 2010, for many years as a Band 6 nurse completing Pre assessment Counselling, then as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner since completing her training two years ago. Whilst she does not complete Pre assessment counselling to the same level as when working as a Band 6 nurse, she continues to provide a degree of this during the patient's Clinic appointment.

Want to speak to one of the team? Contact us at [email protected]