The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funding a five year research programme: Valuing Active Life in Dementia (VALID). Led by Professor Martin Orrell, other INTERDEM members include Professors Myrra Vernooij-Dassen, Esme Moniz-Cook, Gail Mountain and Dr Maud Graff.

VALID aims to adapt, develop, evaluate and implement an occupation based intervention to promote independence, meaningful activity and quality of life for people with dementia and their family carers living in the community in the UK.  It builds on work by Graff and colleagues (2006) in The Netherlands who developed the Community Occupational Therapy in Dementia (COTiD) intervention. For more information see www.ucl.ac.uk/valid