It's been a while since the last petition update. The petition was started in March, about the advertisement The Long Goodbye. Carol Sargent and I had a meeting with one of the directors at the Alzheimer's Society recently, and this is our account of the meeting, which we've sent to him. We also made a presentation at that meeting, and you can download it at
https://drive.google.com/.../11-JJ4UqAiXBk_L.../view
The presentation has some new content you might find interesting. If you'd like to sign the petition, it's still at https://www.change.org/dementiahope
Many thanks to Gail Gregory for the amazing image below.
So here's the account: if you have any thoughts or ideas do comment or message. There's only a few of us, and it'd be great to know what you think.

TURNING HURT INTO ACTION
Carol Sargent and I had a meeting with @Alex Hyde-Smith, Director of Income and Engagement at the @Alzheimer’s Society. My petition, ‘Stop negative and inaccurate dementia publicity,’ was started after I watched the Society’s campaign The Long Goodbye, which was broadcast widely on TV and radio, and in cinemas.
On behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society, Alex declined to receive the petition on April 22nd. We later managed to arrange this meeting last month.
At the meeting, we presented our current thoughts and position about the campaign. This was the first time there had been a shared open discussion, after the petition began in March. 
We talked about how difficult or frightening aspects of dementia might be presented to the public helpfully. We also talked about the experiences of people affected by the broadcasts, and how the advertisement has set back years of work to change perceptions and attitudes to dementia.
We can hope that people living with dementia may be treated with dignity and understanding in the community, if the situation is carefully presented.
Alex offered the following :
1.An apology for declining to meet earlier.
2.An apology for the hurt caused by The Long Goodbye advertisement and an agreement that we could circulate this apology widely:
‘I am deeply sorry for any hurt and anguish caused by The Long Goodbye.’
3. He agreed that we could send a copy of the petition of the 1765 signatories to the Society, and that he would read the reasons why 100+ of those people had signed.
4. He requested a further meeting in a few weeks to take the discussion further.
This is certainly progress. We deeply appreciate the work of the Alzheimer’s Society over many years. The Society is the biggest and most highly funded dementia organisation in the UK. This brings with it both benefits and responsibilities, and there is certainly more to discuss, and to do.
We have further questions about reviewing advertising policy and the consultation process before campaigns. Strong advice was given to withdraw the campaign, which was ignored.
We would like the following public actions from the Alzheimer’s Society:
Apologise for the hurt caused, on the Alzheimer’s Society’s website, jointly written by the CEO, Kate Lee and the Chair of Trustees, Suzi Leather. A commitment to listen, share and act on the feedback from individuals and other dementia organisations in the UK and the wider world, who have been distressed by the advert.
To reconsider their assumption that successful dementia advertising will always cause hurt.
To limit the hurt future adverts causes to people diagnosed with dementia, their families and friends, currently and in the past.
Once this process is complete, we plan to end the petition and spend more time on positive actions to support people living their best lives with dementia, their families and friends.
This controversy has been a painful process which we’d prefer to have avoided, but it now gives us an opportunity to turn the hurt into constructive action.
We’re only a few independent voices, and can only represent ourselves. If you have further ideas for @Alex Hyde to consider for the next advertising campaign, please let us know so we can make a positive, collaborative change in the advertising about the dementia community. Thanks to everyone who has supported this - the petition has over 1700 signatures.

With good wishes to you all

Maxine.