Valentine's Day

Not everyone is a fan of Valentine's Day - but I love it for a very special reason. On this day six years ago we hosted a symposium on dementia and love and at it we reclaimed Valentine's Day as a special day in the lives of people living with dementia. We challenged the narrow definitions of romanticised love and the belief that only young and able bodied people are capable of love. Love matters to us all; and it matters greatly to people living with dementia who battle dehumanisation, stigma and discrimination on a daily basis. 

So we reclaim Valentine's Day; not the fairy floss bits, we want the bits where we celebrate human connection and relationships and love skills. The bits where we recognise people living with dementia as fully human. The bits where we see beyond brain pathology. So, to all our readers living with dementia and to your family and friends - we hope you do something to celebrate the love in your life today. And for those of you not sure what something special today might be, we invite you to visit the Museum of Love to view our online collections celebrating the importance of love in the lives of people living with dementia. 

Make sure you check out #TheKiss exhibition, portraits of people living with dementia kissing someone they love. Perhaps you can share a portrait with us. Photo above Glenys Petrie and John Quinn by Lisa White, the Social Photographer.