Bernie McInally - Not a good advert for Dementia

About this episode

Bernie McInally discusses the complexities of identity and individuality in the context of dementia.

Bernie McInally narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Bernie reflects on his work supporting the Scottish Dementia Brain Tissue Bank, using a telephone cognitive assessment to explore a bigger question about identity, diagnosis and individuality. A single sharp comment from a woman with mild Alzheimer’s disease prompts him to ask whether researchers, healthcare staff and policymakers sometimes overstate the idea of a single “dementia community”. The blog argues that people do not lose their life history, humour, opinions or preferences because of a diagnosis. Instead, dementia becomes one part of a person’s life, not the whole of who they are. https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-not-a-good-advert-for-dementia/ -- Bernie McInally is a Clinical Studies Officer at NHS Lothian and the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network. Bernie's background is in Nursing, working in Mental Health and with Older People. He retired from full time NHS clinical work, and is now back working in Clinical Research supporting delivery of the Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) Scotland. He is passionate about research delivery, and opening access to people in all…

People in this episode

Guest: Bernie McInally

Topics covered

• dementia
• identity
• cognitive assessment
• research
• individuality

Keywords

• dementia
• cognitive assessment
• identity
• Alzheimer's
• research

Sponsors

University College London

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NHS Lothian, Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research

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