Navigating Dementia with Pride: A Conversation on Brain Health Equity with Daìthì- Advocate
**If you’re looking for supportive LGBTQI+ communities or want to connect further with today’s speaker, we’re here for you. Reach out anytime at podcast@virtualbrainhealthcenter.com—we’d be happy to guide you in the right direction!**
In this podcast episode, we welcome Daìthì, a passionate advocate diagnosed with young-onset dementia in 2015, whose advocacy highlights the intersection of dementia care and LGBTQI+ rights, particularly for trans and non-binary individuals.
Daìthì shares their personal journey, emphasizing their unwavering identity and the importance of inclusive research and services across several countries.
They discuss the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ individuals with dementia, their advocacy work, and their involvement in various projects and conferences aimed at greater visibility and inclusion.
The conversation also touches on misconceptions about dementia erasing identity and the necessity of identity-affirming care for brain health.
Daìthì highlights the importance of personal directives, community, and the ongoing fight against exclusion.
The episode concludes with a powerful call to action: listen, educate, and advocate for trans and non-binary individuals living with dementia.00:00 Introduction to Daìthì 02:40 Personal Journey and Identity04:19 Defining Moments and Challenges06:01 Misconceptions About Dementia and Identity08:30 Importance of Identity-Affirming Care16:50 Advice for Navigating Dementia Care22:19 Future of Inclusive Dementia Care29:44 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Learn more and take action with resources from some key organizations:
SAGE (Services & Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Elders)
Opening Doors London (focused on LGBTQ+ aging)
Alzheimer’s Europe’s LGBTQ+ working group
DEEP Network’s LGBTQ+ initiatives and support group
Mens & Zorg, where Tommy Sierens is working on inclusive palliative care
These organizations are actively making a difference in how dementia care intersects with LGBTQ+ identities.
Cage-rattler | Advocate
Dáithí, diagnosed with young onset dementia in 2015, is a passionate advocate for housing and healthcare equity, particularly focusing on the needs of trans and nonbinary individuals with dementia.
Their lived experience as a nonbinary person with dementia drives their advocacy work, where they emphasize the importance of inclusive research and service delivery for LGBTQI+ older adults across various countries, including the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Spain, and Belgium.
Dáithí has co-produced The Space Between: Understanding the Experience of Nonbinary Persons with Dementia, a qualitative research study that sheds light on the unique challenges faced by nonbinary individuals living with dementia. Collaborating with Phil Harper of Newman University and John Hammond of Brighton/Sussex Medical School, they have shared their findings at numerous international dementia conferences, advocating for greater visibility and inclusion in dementia-related research and services.
Their advocacy work includes contributions to various projects, such as the Opening Doors London Memory Cafe, the Fundación 26 de Diciembre initiative in Madrid, Switchboard’s Speak Out Dementia and the Flemish Dementia Working Group in Belgium. These projects highlight their commitment to raising awareness and promoting the rights and dignity of LGBTQI+ individuals within the dementia community
