A Time To Live: Bethanie’s Efforts to Raise Dementia Awareness 2017 [transcript] [audio]

Guest: Michelle Harris

Presenter: Tabetha Moreto

Guests Bio: Michelle Harris was appointed as the Bethanie Dementia Consultant in January 2014. Her goal is to change the culture of dementia care to improve the quality of life of patients living with the disease. Michelle believes in the importance of effective leadership to challenge the ‘status quo’ in care delivery services. In 2017, she was nominated for a Better Practice Award for the work with Agelink Theatre in Dementia, also a runner up in the Asia Pacific Awards. In 2015, she was a speaker at the World Dementia Congress in Taiwan and the National Dementia Congress in Melbourne raising awareness on the rights of people living with dementia and the need for a National approach for Dementia Care Standards. Michelle is holds Masters of Clinical Science in Nursing specializing in Gerontology and Dementia, Bachelor of Health Care Science, and Bachelor of Midwifery.

Segment overview: September is Dementia Awareness Month. Bethanie, a widely known not-for-profit aged care and retirement living providers in Western Australia, is hosting free seminars entitled “A Time to Live” to provide essential information for the detection and treatment of clients with dementia. Michelle Harris, a Bethanie Dementia Consultant, joins us to talk about dementia and their efforts of raising awareness through public forums.