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Dr Catriona Ireland

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Dr Catriona Ireland
Brief info

Catriona Ireland graduated from the University of Sydney in 1993 and completed her specialist training in geriatric medicine in 2001. Over the last 23 years her work has centred around assessment, diagnosis and ongoing management of cognitive concerns and dementia in the context of general health and lifestyle. She has led a public memory service in Orange for 23 years and more recently a private geriatrician service in Sydney. In 2016, Dr Ireland joined the Healthy Brain Ageing Clinic at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, focussed on exploring the modifiable factors in brain ageing and ways we can reduce the risk of dementia in adults of all ages.

INITIATING DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS IN THE DEMENTIA CLINIC

Lecture 30 minutes followed by 10 minutes Q & A

Managing dementia in the clinic is far less about ordering tests and prescribing medication than it is about recognising where problems are likely to arise and how to best to avoid them.  Many conversations need to be initiated proactively, and clinicians need to know what they should be trying to discover and how to go about it.  For example, what are the red flags for triggering power of attorney and how can you support the family in activating this process; how can you get everyone on the same page about managing finances and decisions around driving; how do you identify and deal with those family members who are not on the same page; when does a conversation about carer burnout become a discussion about placement?  Through a series of case vignettes, this talk will aim to provide a practical framework for navigating this complex environment.