Welcome from the Chair

It is with great pride that the Southern Health and Social Care Trust is the host for the Northern Ireland Dementia Forum for 2008. I and my vice chair, Marie Ferran on behalf of the Trust welcome the challenge of co-ordinating the work of the Forum for the year ahead.

It is the aim of the forum to ensure that the profile, needs and experiences of people with dementia and their carers is given priority. There is no better time to do this than now, as planning for services gets underway in this new and evolving Health Service.

The forum strives to further this aim by advancing best practice through sharing information, influencing local, departmental and government agencies, and networking with a wide range of voluntary, statutory and private agencies.

As Chair of the Forum I would like to invite practitioners in all fields of Dementia Care to share with us any new and innovative work practices, projects, articles and research papers. You will be aware that the Forum runs workshops and hosts an annual conference and I look forward to seeing old and new faces at our events.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge those who, through recent changes within the health services, are no longer members of the Forum. I would like to thank them for their commitment and contribution to the work of the Forum over the past eight years.

Best Wishes

Siobhan Donaghy Chair Northern Ireland Dementia Forum 2008