Encouraging togetherness and learning in dementia care
ASSOCIATES
Zena Aldridge
Zena’s career in health and social care has spanned across four decades, initially in domiciliary care and then as a nursing auxiliary in acute and community settings, before undertaking her nurse training in 2003. Zena qualified as a mental health nurse at the University of East Angliain 2003 before going on to complete her master's degree in Mental Health in 2013. More recently in November 2022 Zena completed doctoral studies at De Montfort University and has been awarded a PhD in Nursing with her thesis titled “Relationships, morality and emotion: Their impact and influence on nursing home staff decision-making when a resident with advanced dementia deteriorates” . She has relished the challenge of less traditional roles throughout her career but always with a keen focus on improving the outcomes and experiences of care for older people, people living with dementia, their families and carers. Zena's specialist interest includes the care of older people, dementia care, palliative and end of life care, continence management, case management, biopsychosocial care as well service integration and quality improvement. Zena is a published author of multiple journal articles and contributor to two books. Given her various areas of interest, skills and experience Zena holds a portfolio of roles both employed and on a freelance basis including, Eastern Regional Clinical Advisor (dementia) NHSE&I, Clinical Advisor (dementia) Norfolk and Waveney ICB, Clinical advisor in care home and dementia service development One Norwich practices and Consultant Editor of Nursing Older People RCNi, Honorary Visting Researcher at both Newcastle University and University of Bradford.
Surrinder Bains
Surrinder Bains is a professional trainer with over 25 years’ experience as a practicing Health Visitor and Registered Nurse. She has designed and delivered training for professionals, support staff and students in many health/social care settings. Throughout her career Surrinder has developed her knowledge and passion for supporting people suffering from dementia. Having witnessed first-hand the positive impact sensory experiences can have on those with this condition Surrinder has spent the last few years working with the 'Playlist for Life' charity raising awareness and delivering training. Playlist for Life is a UK music and dementia charity. They use the music of a person’s life to keep them connected to themselves and their loved ones throughout their dementia journey. When you listen to music, your brain lights up like a fireworks display, the results of that can be astonishing. She is herself a parent carer for her daughter who is on the autistic spectrum and knows first hand the challenges faced by carers. An active member of her local Carers Centre in Bath both as a trainer and a carer.
Sharon is an artist and specialist printmaker based in Birmingham, UK. She has exhibited across Europe and the UK including in the House of Commons. Sharon has worked as a freelance artist, arts educator and facilitator delivering arts experiences with people from all walks of life for over 30 years. She specialises in working with adults with mental health needs, people with disabilities and older adults, including people living with dementia. She spent over 20 years managing the specialist arts-in-health Charity Sandwell Third Age Arts (STAA) which included delivering a bespoke one-to-one arts service with an artist working with the person with dementia in the person’s home, referred by a health professional. She is a Director for Make it Better (Mitber) C.I.C. a not-for-profit community interest company supporting communities to live well through the arts and is an Associate Tutor, History of Art at the University of Warwick.
Sharon Baker
Tim Forrester-Morgan
Tim began his career in Social Care and training in 1992 when working in a Care Home as an Activities Organiser with older people. He has worked in a number of care management and service development roles within Older Peoples Services consistently over the last 26 years. For many years Tim has provided a range of Consultation Services for care settings offering guidance on development of appropriate therapeutic environments for people with a dementia. Tim has a passion for promoting activity in dementia care and has a wealth of experience in running coaching & mentoring projects for management teams within local authority, private, voluntary and the independent sector. Since 2011, Tim has been Co-Director of the Dementia Training Company. He continues to be committed to making a positive difference to the lives of individuals with dementia, by raising awareness of their experiences and providing bespoke learning and development opportunities for those who support them. Tim gained the ENBN11 at Middlesex University in 2000 and has been a qualified and practising Dementia Care Mapper since 2001. Tim is an NVQ/QCF Assessor and holds a PTTLS qualification.
Danuta Lipinska
Danuta is a trainer and facilitator, psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice. Specialising in dementia care and all aspects of ageing, Danuta has a commitment to men and women with dementia, their families and those professionals who care for and support them in all environments. She has worked in the field of dementia care for 32 years and has pioneered counselling services for people with dementia, publishing ‘Person-Centred Counselling for People with Dementia’ in 2009. Since 2012 Danuta has been an action learning set facilitator with My Home Life. She is an international speaker and associate dementia specialist with Worcester University Association of Dementia Studies.
Aubrey Maasdorp
Aubrey is a skilled facilitator with more than 20 years’ experience as a trainer, specialising in dementia training since 2005. His interest in dementia developed through personal experience as a family carer and through volunteering in residential homes. Aubrey has expertise in training managers, in staff development issues and in equality and diversity. He has worked as a facilitator with Music for Life, supporting care home staff to reflect on the impact of music sessions with skilled musicians on participants with dementia. He is a certified yoga teacher and interested in the potential for yoga to benefit people living with dementia.
Liv McLennan
Liv McLennan is a community musician and creative practitioner who believes in the power of music and creative arts for change. She has had a passion for working for people with dementia since her teens, when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s-type dementia. After a music degree and time as an Army musician, Liv worked for various charities, including Alzheimer’s Society, developing projects mainly based around peer support and groupwork. She works with community choirs & singing groups, people with dementia, people with Parkinson’s, and children aged 0-5 and their families. Liv has worked with various organisations, including Westminster Arts, Age Exchange and, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Alzheimer’s Society delivering music, movement, reminiscence and cross-arts projects. She is also a trainer in these areas and has run training sessions for community musicians and care workers in how to incorporate these techniques into their work. Liv plays the cello, Highland Bagpipes and saxophone, and dabbles in ukulele. In her spare time she enjoys Circle Dancing and is also on the board of trustees for Sound Sense, the Professional Association for Community Musicians. She is delighted to have recently moved back to Salisbury, after a very long time in London.
Mycal Miller
Mycal has been a trainer for many years, although he first started work in film and TV production after completing a law degree. He continues to combine training and production, and has produced a range of multimedia materials and dementia training videos, including ‘Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow’, ‘Remember Me’, ‘Sahara Lo’ and ‘Tomorrow is Another Day’. He also previously worked for Samaritans as London regional training officer, devising and delivering training. Mycal has worked with a wide range of learners in dementia care, including care staff, managers, nurses, volunteers, family carers and people with dementia. He is particularly interested in helping people develop good communication skills. In training, he promotes a ‘learner centred approach’.
Mike Phillips
Mike is a freelance trainer, facilitator, consultant and coach who is passionate about releasing potential through learning and development. He has delivered training across London, the UK and internationally using diverse interactive training techniques which build upon adult learning, brain-friendly and accelerated learning principles. Since establishing a charity in Wales, he has primarily worked in the voluntary sector in health and social care (including HIV, mental health and dementia) in various management and senior management roles. He specialises in a range of topics related to dementia care, including: management, leadership and team-building; personal effectiveness; HR, learning and development; communication skills; working with diversity.
Julia Pitkin
Julia trained as an occupational therapist and has a post graduate Certificate in Dementia Studies. She is the UK’s first certified Validation Trainer in Dementia Care, completing her training in Pennsylvania, USA. Her decision to specialise in dementia care was influenced by her work as a quality care auditor for a private sector accreditation company and for the former National Care Standards Commission, where she identified training needs for staff caring for people living with dementia in care homes. Her specialist interest and passion is in person-centred listening and communication, having recently made a training film called ‘Conversations that Matter: breaking through dementia’. Julia lives in a corner of rural Shropshire with chickens, dogs, alpacas and wifi.
Suki Turner
Suki started dancing at the age of three and after graduating she taught in many schools and colleges including RADA, Bird College and Mountview Theatre school to name just a few. Her professional work includes West End musical productions, films, national tours and regional repertory plays. Since retiring from the theatre to bring up her two sons, Suki opened CentreStage Dance and Drama, teaching children from 3 years to adults, intermingling teaching with adjudicating festivals and being Head of Drama in a prep school! In 2015 Suki was chosen to be an ambassador for the Royal Academy of Dance, using the Academy’s method of Dance for Life Long Well Being, teaching various styles of dance for older learners, including participants living with dementia and Parkinsons. She is also a Level 2 instructor for Wheelchair dancing. Suki can be found teaching in various care and retirement establishments as well as at the Royal Academy. Suki’s expertise allows her to teach both seated and non-seated learners in a fun but challenging way.