Welsh Dementia Care Champion
1133. Jayne Goodrick
Jayne Goodrick, from Rhuddlan, is one of the UK’s leading advocates for people with dementia and their carers.
Following her husband Chris’s diagnosis with mixed dementia at the age of 50, Jayne has worked to empower carers of people with dementia by building an information and support network across the UK. She has advised both the UK and Welsh Governments on dementia, most recently with the Welsh Dementia Action Plan. Jayne has been dedicated to supporting Chris’s work as an international speaker on the condition, and sharing her expertise as a carer to support the 670,000 people in the UK who are dementia carers. With her husband, Jayne also featured on a BBC Panorama documentary in 2016 about living with dementia, which reached over 2.8 million viewers.
Jayne was presented with her award by the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns MP, at the Downing Street St David’s Day reception (pictured below).
In a personal letter to Jayne, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“You have shown remarkable resilience and dedication in so openly sharing your personal experiences of caring for your husband Chris with his diagnosis of dementia. Your expertise by experience is providing invaluable support to thousands of carers across the UK and to the work of government and charities in tackling this terrible condition.”
Jayne said:
“I am truly honoured to have been awarded the Points of Light award for doing what we do. I say we, because the work around highlighting and addressing the stigma, the inequality, and the loss of rights for all people affected by dementia, is a team effort.
“When my husband Chris received his diagnosis, we went from husband and wife to patient and Carer. That is what was expected of us, the norm.
“Chris and I now do all we can to change that discourse, that has been so disabling, disempowering and stigmatising for all of us who share that diagnosis.
“We decided that we weren’t very good at being patient and Carer, and decided to be what we are best at – husband and wife! And so our work began.
“This Point of Light award shines the light on all those doing this day in day out, silently and without complaint, despite the most complex difficulties they are faced with. Dementia Carers count!”
Claire Goodchild, CEO of ‘Dementia Carers Count’, said:
“Jayne brings unique insights and perspectives to the experiences, needs and outcomes for family carers of people with dementia. Amongst her many skills are her abilities to join up the dots between issues and to connect people who should be talking and working together. It feels like she was sent to help create a better world for people with dementia and for family carers. There is a true sense of altruism about her work. She has many gifts, not least deep compassion, humour and speaking truth. She genuinely is an inspiration to us and we recognise that Jayne and all other dementia carers count.”