Publications

Shirley’s blog
https://understandingdementia.co.uk/blog/

Booklet

2022 Understanding dementia and lessening its impact. 2nd edition.
Twyford, Berkshire: Shirley Pearce.

Conference posters

2021 Well-being in dementia care: what is it and how can we support it?
Royal College of Occupational Therapists 44th annual conference and exhibition, online 30.06-01.07.2021.

2019 ‘Therapeutic lying’: validating the person’s view, or unprofessional conduct? 
Journal of Dementia Care 14th UK Dementia Congress, Doncaster 5-7.11.2019.

2019 It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it: the importance of ‘how’ in dementia. 
Inspiring, informing, involving. Royal College of Occupational Therapists 43rd annual conference and exhibition, Birmingham 17-18.06.2019.

2017 Fight, flight or “F*** off!” Challenging our understanding of behaviour in dementia. 
Inspiring, involving, informing. Royal College of Occupational Therapists 41st annual conference and exhibition, Birmingham 19-20.06.2017.

2016 Managing risk in dementia care: promoting well-being through the SPECAL® method. 
It’s time for occupation. College of Occupational Therapists 40th annual conference and exhibition, Harrogate 28-30.06.2016.

Articles

2023 Turning a crisis into an opportunity: taking dementia training online.
Journal of Dementia Care 31(6) 23-24. [online] Available at:
https://journalofdementiacare.co.uk/article/turning-a-crisis-into-an-opportunity-taking-dementia-training-online

2023 Mum lives in her own house. Why does she keep asking to go home?
RG10 Magazine, May-June 2023 [online] Available at:
https://digital.magmgr.com/Preview/Index/2617127?fbclid=IwAR02th9LHP5i2mSpKlGkdyLzxOGzLRpZhrbCpYNAzF5A8O1Odx5j_isNYhk#page/24

2023 Feelings: listen and validate.
Journal of Dementia Care 31(2) 9. [online] Available at:
https://journalofdementiacare.co.uk/article/perspectives-march-april-2023

2020 ‘Therapeutic lying’: feelings are the key to our response.
Journal of Dementia Care 28(5), 16-18. [online] Available at:
https://www.journalofdementiacare.co.uk/digital-editions.htm

2020 Explaining Covid-19.
RG10 Magazine, July-Aug 2020 [online] Available at:
https://issuu.com/rg10mag/docs/jul-aug_2020/21

2019 Why does Auntie think I’m Grandma?
RG10 Magazine, May-Jun 2019 [online] Available at:
https://issuu.com/rg10mag/docs/may-jun_2019/13

2018 New charity launched in Twyford.
RG10 Magazine, May-Jun 2018 [online] Available at:
https://issuu.com/rg10mag/docs/may-jun_2018/32

2014 Dementia: descent into hell or foretaste of heaven? 
Baptist Times, 06 January. Available at:
https://www.baptist.org.uk/Articles/379675/Dementia_hell_or.aspx

2013 Dementia: contentment or terror? 
Church Times, 18 October. Available at:
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2013/18-october/features/features/contentment-or-terror

Podcasts & Videos

2023 Angela Walker In Conversation podcast interview.
Understanding Dementia – how empathy can improve life for people with dementia and their families.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOX4vm9e67I&feature=youtu.be

2023 Video for Dementia Friendly Wokingham.
Understanding Dementia and lessening its impact.
https://understandingdementia.co.uk/video-introduction/

2023 RG10 Magazine podcast interview.
Twyford Community Awards – Charity of the Year.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1936608/12452911

2021 Video for World OT Day 27 October.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9wV01iIgjY

2021 RG10 Magazine podcast interview.
Free course in understanding the experience of dementia.
https://soundcloud.com/user-295837449/rg10-s2-ep-23-dementia

2021 Introductory video for Dementia Action Week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WsdQOiOczs

2020 Video for World OT Day 27 October.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjOWMwaPdFg

2020 RG10 Magazine Podcast interview.
Understanding Dementia with Shirley Pearce.
https://soundcloud.com/user-295837449/rg10-shirley-pearce

External Links

Link Visiting Scheme:
https://www.linkvisiting.org/

Age UK Berkshire Wokingham:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/berkshire/

Dementia Friendly Wokingham:
https://www.dementiafriendlywokingham.co.uk/

John’s Campaign:
https://johnscampaign.org.uk/#/

NHS Dementia Guide: 
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/

Testimonials

“I ... support people with Dementia in care homes and Day Centres... I appreciated the fact that your talk focused on the way to communicate and work positively with people with Dementia rather than focus on the memory issues itself. I found the 'ABC' format a very useful way of remembering this approach. To focus on the feelings of the person with Dementia and putting them at the heart of our approach ... to ensure the person has autonomy and to support a client centred approach. This is often missed or not focused on enough during training courses.”
Paula SearanckeOccupational Therapist
"Shirley has helped me greatly with my understanding of Dementia... Having this greater understanding has enabled me to change my approach with caring for someone with dementia. This has had a very positive effect on both our well beings! It does involve approaching things very differently but in a way that makes sense.”
Simon ClancyFamily Carer
“[I invited] Shirley [to deliver] a session... in the tearoom... It was really informative and has given me a greater sense of how to assist both those living with it and those caring... It was so useful to have different ways of approaching our customers in our daily work to make them feel more at ease... I would highly recommend this training, be it in a group environment or a dedicated team.”
Emma SavilleOwner, Emma’s Kitchen, Twyford, Berkshire
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