Making Sense of Dementia 2: Making a present of the past

PENNY GARNER is Founder and Clinical Director at Contented Dementia Trust. Penny’s work began as a direct result of her earlier experience gained whilst caring for her mother Dorothy, who was suffering from dementia. She then launched SPECAL as an independent charity based in the old community hospital in 2002, with the aim of promoting lifelong well-being for people with dementia. Penny has developed and refined a dedicated method of managing dementia called SPECAL, underpinned by the Photograph Album – an accessible tool to explain how memory works, the impact of ageing and a significant change introduced by dementia. It is described in detail in Contented Dementia, the best-selling book by Oliver James. Penny now lectures both at home and abroad and is currently developing a full Practitioner Training Programme to ensure her knowledge, skills and experience are passed onto others for the future.