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The Event

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The Event

Resources

Join Us

The Event

Resources

Join Us

We are an unconventional conference

We are a movement

What if we brought together people from all walks of life, including researchers, health professionals, and individuals living with dementia, for an inspiring and educational journey?

And what if this created a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and impactful collaborations across science, arts and lived experiences?

What is the WTD?

This is a multi-stakeholder immersive conference exploring dementia through diverse experiences and perspectives. Our journey starts with a 4-day walk covering 40 km where participants will connect with different people, explore topics related to their challenges in dementia, and foster diverse perspectives to reshape ideas and behaviors both professionally and personally. With varied demographics including gender, ethnicity, culture, and experiences, we'll immerse ourselves in each other's stories, gaining valuable insights.

Following this immersive experience, we'll convene for a 2-day symposium to discuss projects, consolidate reflections, and foster collective solutions and collaborations. Together, let's design our future steps, inspiring change-makers to develop innovative solutions inspired by real-life experiences.

Who is this experience for?

WTD brings together a diverse group of individuals united in their vision to create a future where dementia is a distant memory. This is not an event limited to a specific professional background. It is an experience for everyone connected to or passionate about dementia. You could be a healthcare professional, policymaker, person living with dementia, care partner, advocate, health service manager, visionary entrepreneur, researcher, scientist, artist, communicator, or innovator.

Where is this happening?

The backdrop for this journey is Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, a charming city with a rich cultural and historical background, and the final destination for pilgrims who, for centuries, have sought answers and self discovery challenging mind, body and spirituality in one of the most ancient pilgrimage routes in the world.

When is this happening?

The 2024 edition goes from August 25, to September 1, 2024.

The check-in and welcome dinner will take place on August 25. The walk is happening from August 26 to 29, and the symposium will conclude this experience on August 30 and 31.

“Someone once told me that a diagnosis can be life-changing, not life-ending. We need to showcase people living despite a diagnosis and emphasize the potential of their voices and experiences in shaping our perception of dementia. My grandmother’s Alzheimer’s was not the end, and today I know that incredible adventures are still possible, all it takes is providing the right tools to make life more significant than the diagnosis. My grandma lived with Alzheimer’s for 6 years, and she could tell us exactly what it was like to walk in her shoes. We want these stories to be told, voices to be heard, and the future of dementia to be stigma-free.”

— Fernando Aguzzoli-Peres

With this inclusive approach, we aim to reshape conversations and demonstrate that every voice matters, whether you're a healthcare professional, researcher, caregiver, or someone living with dementia. At WTD, we're more than just a conference - we're a movement.

Get on board!

Walking the Talk for Dementia (WTD) is not your ordinary conference. It's a transformative experience that challenges traditional power dynamics in healthcare and research while empowering those living with dementia.

Picture yourself on a 40km walk along the historic Camino de Santiago de Compostela, alongside a diverse group of individuals from various walks of life, professional backgrounds, and lived experiences in dementia. Then its time to convene at a conference-based symposium to delve into the impact of dementia in our communities, explore our efforts to address it, and design our next steps.

“Thankfully I have found people like myself, living, thriving and enjoying life. Today I want to make sure that anyone else like me, diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, understands that you don’t have to end your life.

There are a million things we can still do and great challenges we can still handle, life has gone on, and it always will.”

— Laurie Waters, (USA)

Did you know?

Every 3 seconds, a new case of dementia emerges in the world, with over 40 million people currently living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Still not curable, dementia affects not just the person diagnosed but also their families, communities, and healthcare systems. To tackle this complex challenge, we believe in teamwork. But let's face it, traditional conferences usually miss the exciting stories! That's where we come in!

“The experience of Walking the Talk for Dementia has provided me with a safe and trusting space for mutual exploration and learning on dementia. We walked and we talked while remaining human and hopeful.”

— Desmond O'Sullivan, living with dementia

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