Dementia Justice Project Update

/ August 15, 2023

On behalf of Linda and myself, I’m providing an update on our research project and provide links to our project resources, as well as a recording of the launch event. I was privileged to work as an Associate Investigator on this project with Dr Linda Steele.

Our latest post, Launches, Publications, and Advocacy: A Busy Time for the Dementia Redress Project! is highlighted here.

Importantly, this project was led by people living with dementia and their support networks, and developed 25 Dementia Reparations Principles. It was part of the project ‘Redressing Abuse and Neglect of People Living with Dementia in Residential Aged Care’.

On behalf of Linda and myself, this blog provides an update on our project and provide links to our project resources, as well as a recording of the launch event. 

In early 2023 we published the ‘Dementia Reparations Principles’. You can read the Principles and accompanying documents via these links:

In March 2023 we launched the ‘Dementia Reparations Principles’ at two online events. You can watch or listen to the launches via these links:

Since 2022 we have published journal articles about our project:

Linda and I have been sharing the ‘Dementia Reparations Principles’ and accompanying documents with multiple audiences, including politicians, government agencies, public inquiries and policymakers, in Australia and overseas to advocate for the introduction of reparations for harm experienced by people living with dementia in residential aged care and for reform of existing justice and redress mechanisms that apply to people living with dementia in residential aged care and other contexts:

  • We have submitted the ‘Dementia Reparations Principles’ and accompanying documents to government inquiries including: Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, Australian Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme Inquiry into Operation of the National Redress Scheme
  • We have submitted the ‘Dementia Reparations Principles’ and accompanying documents to government policy development on dementia and aged care including: Australian Department of Health and Aged Care’s National Dementia Action Plan, Australian Department of Health and Aged Care’s Aged Care Legislative Reform
  • We have reached out to all Australian Federal, State and Territory Ministers for health, aged care, and seniors, and have started meeting with staff from some Ministers’ offices
  • We will be meeting with the Australian aged care industry body Aged & Community Care Providers Association Ltd
  • We have presented to the Australian government members of the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture National Preventive Mechanism

If you would like to keep updated on our ongoing research and advocacy on this topic, you can:

Linda and I strongly encourage you to share the project resources and information with your networks in government, advocacy, aged care industry and the wider community! 

We are available to meet online with interested individuals and groups to present on our research and discuss how we can work together to advance this issue. We are also keen to receive any of your suggestions of who we should contact to share the ‘Dementia Reparations Principles’ – in Australia or anywhere else in the world. Contact me on my website or via comments to this blog update, or email Linda at linda.steele@uts.edu.au

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