PhDr. Hana Janečková PhD. teaches at the Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Theology and at the departemtn of nursing at the Faculty of Medicine. She had the opportunity to cooperate with Pam Schweitzer from London and with European Reminescence Network on several European projects: „Remembering Together“ (remembering with carers and their loved ones who experienced dementia) and „Remebering Yesterday, Caring Today“ (training of facilitators of the reminescence groups for the carers and their loved ones who experienced dementia). She led a research study of Centre for Gerontology in Prague that produced a first book on reminiscence in Czechia. She is a founder of Czech Alzheimer Society and co-founder of Reminiscence Center in Prague.

Workshop: Abstract

Remembering Yesterday, Caring Today

People living with dementia tend to get into isolation due to their disability that brings problems with communication, coping with everyday activities, orientation in their own world, remebering where they are and what they do. In their struggle of finding their own identity, keeping their face and sustaining control, their social surrounding – community responsive to their needs, play a vital role („dementia friendly community“). The programme „Remembering Yesterday, Caring Today“ (RYCT) offers the caring families and their loved ones opportunities for meetings when we learn how to see a person with dementia in different light, how to give him / her a space they need, how to create friendly, safe, respnsive surroundings where they naturally fit into, where they have their own place and they are cared. Together with their loved ones they can get the courage to go out and experience something together with others.