The Open Doors network: dementia and self-growth

Abstract

This article outlines the development of the Open Doors network facilitator post in Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. The post is unique in the NHS in that it is led and facilitated by Mike Howorth, a person with Alzheimer’s disease. This article outlines the self-growth and wellbeing experiences of Mike as he re-entered the workforce in his early 80s after 15 years of retirement. Being the Open Doors network facilitator has provided Mike with new challenges and opportunities in his life, including facing up to, and overcoming, a life-long fear of public speaking. The achievements of the post are shared within Mike’s overall story of his own wellbeing, as well as his ambitions for the post in the future.