Living with dementia is tough...
...getting support shouldn’t be.
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Why we exist?
At the Dementia Care Hub, we are on a mission to make the lives of people living with a dementia, their care partners, family and friends better. We aim to prevent avoidable distress through practical and emotional support that is inclusive and accessible to all.
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What support do we provide?
We provide social support and guidance to empower people to live the lives they want to live for as long as possible by combining Material Citizenship and the Adjusting to Change Model. We provide emotional support through our We Care Dementia Care programme by drawing on the evidence-based principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, helping people with the changes dementia can bring to relationships. Helping people through the good times and the bad times, a guiding hand every step of the way.
We provide social groups for care partners and people living with a dementia to enjoy, both together and independently.
How we are changing the narrative of dementia
We draw on the advice of Dr Kellyn Lee and her network of academic and practitioner colleagues, using research and practice to bring you a platform to educate and empower.
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A note from our founder
Dr Kellyn Lee
BSc(Hons) MRes, PhD and CPsychol with a special interest in dementia care
The narrative of dementia has always been bleak, the words too often used by the media and the perception of society sets a scene of hopelessness and suffering. We have decades of research evidencing what people need and yet people still receive a diagnosis and fall into a wilderness not knowing where to turn and what to do. Many people struggle along until it gets too much however, it doesn’t have to be this way. With practical guidance, information, peer support and advice, alongside guidance to support psychological flexibility and by utilising evidence-based wellbeing strategies people can live as well as they can, given the circumstances.
After working in practice and then in ageing and dementia research for over a decade I wanted to use that knowledge and that of my colleagues to make a difference. I am passionate about people living with a dementia and their care partners receiving the right support at the right time. People should not be disadvantaged by their diagnosis nor should care partners feel as though they are going through this alone. It is very important to me to prevent avoidable distress and for people to be empowered to make choices that are right for them. My mission is that every person diagnosed with dementia and their care partners are supported throughout their dementia journey and beyond.
Senior Management Team
Dr Kellyn Lee
CEO and Founder
The Dementia Care Hub was founded by Dr Kellyn Lee in 2021. Kellyn is a BPS chartered psychologist and academic with over 10 years' experience in applied ageing and dementia research. She has worked at the Universities Portsmouth and Southampton and LSE. In her work with both people living with a dementia, their families and friends she witnessed the struggles people experience adjusting to the changes dementia brings. She strongly believes that whilst dementia is hard, getting support shouldn't be and so established The Dementia Care Hub as a place in which evidence-based practices plus practical support help all people affected by dementia throughout their journey. She has set up local 'Meeting Centres' that provide psychological support, social groups, respite sessions, and art and music groups. The aim is to reduce isolation and loneliness, remove stigma and enable people live better for longer.
Trustees
Simon Brimble comes to TDCH with forty years of working experience in manufacturing, predominantly in Operations and Supply Chain senior leadership roles. Since retiring from his corporate position of Chief Procurement Officer in 2020. Simon has been working with start-up technology companies to develop their operational and supply chain strategies.
Simon Brimble
Chair of Trustees
Experience - Experienced Customer Engagement and Business Development leader working in the public sector, and a professional marketing background in both private and public industries.
Skills –customer experience and engagement strategy, commercial growth development, marketing and sales, analytics and insights, people and culture development and change management.
Why – Having had to watch the impact that Dementia diagnosis can have on a whole family, I wanted an opportunity to support something that provides a lifeline for all those affected, loved ones as well as the individual.
Sarah Roberts
Trustee
I’m a mentor, NED and consultant offering constructive challenge, strategic thinking and innovative solutions having worked primarily in the defence and aviation industries.
An extensive track record as a Non-Executive Director and Senior Consultant with strong capabilities in enabling collaboration and exploring multiple stakeholder perspectives in complex international industries underpinned by robust technical and engineering knowledge.
Specific Areas of expertise/domain knowledge: Aviation focused Strategy, Safety and Security, Enterprise Architecture.
Virginia Hodge
Trustee
Fiona Chaâbane
Trustee
Fiona qualified as a registered psychiatric nurse in 1983. She has spent the majority of her career working in dementia services in a range of clinical and managerial roles in West Sussex. Whilst working in dementia services she developed a specific interest in younger people presenting to adult mental health services with a cognitive disorder (including Huntington’s disease - HD) and in 2002 set up and managed a service to support this patient group and their families through diagnosis and ongoing community management. In 2014 Fiona obtained a research post at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust working with Professor Christopher Kipps to look at ways of improving outcomes for patients attending the cognitive disorders clinic and to manage a clinical caseload. This post developed into the role of clinical nurse specialist/clinical coordinator for younger onset dementia and Huntington’s disease. Most of Fiona’s work is done in the community, visiting people at home to monitor, treat and support people with dementia or Huntington’s disease and to provide a support role to their families.
In April 2021 Fiona joined Dementia UK as a Consultant Admiral Nurse specialising in long-term community management of younger people with dementia or Huntington’s disease. Fiona helped develop the care pathway for people with Huntington’s disease at Southampton and is the lead contact for anyone affected by younger onset dementia or HD who has been referred to Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton General Hospital. Fiona works flexibly to support people with dementia and their families as well as advising clinicians and other services in providing the most appropriate level of support where needed.
Associate Advisors
Chris has 32 years of experience in business, IT and IT management with both large international companies and with small start-ups. He has managed and advised on the use of large-scale global outsourcing for government and large multinationals across a range of industries
Since retiring in 2013, Chris has been an active volunteer in his local community. He mentors and invests in technology start-up businesses emerging from Southampton University, and volunteers with the Young Enterprise charity to bring business skills to young people and raise their aspirations. He sits on Age UK's national Services Board advising on the development of new services.
Chris Spackman
Associate Advisor
Rob Wood
Associate Advisor
Rob lives in Southampton and enjoys being part of a locally-based family Network covering four generations.
He was a Careers Advisor & Lecturer at the University of Southampton before retiring in 2020 and was the University Careers specialist in Personality profiling, devising and teaching a variety of courses on understanding and implementing this knowledge in career choice.
In the 10 years before retiring fully, he combined his role at the University with private coaching with mid-life career changers. He was also a trained supervisor helping coaches in their professional development, well-being and accountability.
Rob is a Fellow of the Institute of Enterprise & Entrepreneurs (IOEE) and an Associate Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (HEA).
His interest in dementia care spawns from supporting his mother for 15 years of living with vascular Dementia; and is the main family carer for his wife, who has Alzheimer’s.
His main interests are long distance walking and photography. He is trained in mountain skills and leads a group for “older walkers”.
Website: www.robwood.co.uk
supported by the
Co-op Community Fund
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