Keith Oliver
Keith Oliver lives near to Canterbury with his wife Rosemary. Keith’s world changed when he was diagnosed with young-onset dementia at the age of 55, and in Keith’s case this was Alzheimer’s.
He enjoyed a 33-year career in teaching with his final teaching post as head teacher of Blean Primary School. Since being diagnosed, Keith has tried to retain his love of education, applying it to health and social care in his teaching as a guest lecturer at the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. The latter of which, recognising this with an honorary doctorate in November 2021.
In his Envoy role, Keith has co-led and participated in a number of creative projects in the Canterbury area which have been greatly successful for people living with dementia. He is a founding member of the Forget Me Nots group and alongside Abigail Lugg and Lara Stembridge in their roles as former KMPT placement students and NHS volunteers with KMPT, they authored the book, Forget Me Nots - The First Ten Years.
Keith has a very positive attitude towards dementia, an attitude he says he’s always had towards life, and something that helps him deal with it day-to-day. He is actively involved in helping others to cope with early-onset dementia and works to promote recognition of the symptoms.
Keith has served on many dementia project steering groups, and has spoken extensively at conferences around the UK and in the US about his roles in the dementia world. He was the first person in the world to address the United Nations CRPD in Geneva about living with dementia as a disability which resulted in the UK Government making significant improvements in support and care for people with dementia.
He has also been actively working as a Dementia Envoy for the trust and has carried out some exceptional work. In 2014, alongside seven other writers and with the help of university students and the Alzheimer’s Society, he published 'Welcome to our world'. Since 2014, Keith has authored, co-authored, edited and published a number of books. These being: Welcome to Our World – with seven members of the Forget Me Nots, Walk the Walk Talk the Talk (2016), Dear Alzheimer’s – A Diary of Living with Dementia (2019), Time and Place (2021), Reconsidering Dementia - book series (2023), Talking with Dementia Reconsidered (2024).
