Marie has worked in dementia and behaviour support programs for two decades since the early Commonwealth initiatives. She is the strategic lead for Dementia Support Australia, a HammondCare led service delivering the National Severe Behaviour Response Teams, the national Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service, Specialist Dementia Care Programs eligibility programs and Staying at Home. Her work also includes the engagement, stakeholder, research and special needs groups strategies for DSA and the implementation of international programs focused on the Australian DSA program.

Jason Burton trained as a Mental Health Nurse in the UK where he specialised in post diagnostic pathways and younger onset dementia. He has specialised in supporting people living with dementia and their families for 35 years across a wide range of care settings including hospital, primary care, community, and residential care. Jason has supported the development of dementia specialist services in India and Pakistan and in 2019 was asked to provide expert testimony to the Royal Commission on what person-centred good quality dementia care looks like. Jason worked in senior roles with Alzheimer’s Australia WA for 20 years and led the organisation’s focus on developing innovative dementia care and practice, research, and capacity building in the sector. His current role as Associate Executive Director with Dementia Training Australia includes leading the development of national standards for dementia education and training. Jason has academic and practice experience in developing contemporary enabling environments and implementing person centred approaches to support people living with dementia, including in dementia design and dementia inclusive communities.

Advocacy for dementia has been a key part of my life since my wife was diagnosed with a rare dementia 13 years ago. The lived experience of understanding and caring for her is the basis of my philosophy and approach to advocacy. I also regard it as a privilege to represent her unspoken voice as she lives with advanced dementia in residential aged care at the age of 69. Drawing on my skills honed as a senior executive in the WA public service I now participate in numerous activities and research studies on and about dementia and dementia care, including as: • Co-chair, Brain Health Research Community Reference Group, Curtin University; • Member, Dementia Research Community Advisory Group, Curtin University; • Member, Aged Care Clinical Standards Advisory Committee, Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Health Care (ACQSHC) - which recently reviewed the aged care clinical care standards; • Member, ACQSHC Topic Working Group - which recently reviewed the standard on use of psychotropic medicines in managing changed behaviours; • Member, Dementia Training Australia’s Consumer Reference Group – currently reviewing the National Dementia Education and Standards Training Framework; • Peer Leader, Dementia Australia’s Peer Support Program; and • Former member of the Board of Alzheimer’s WA.