Diane Mansour
Personal information
Diane Mansour
Founder, Alzheimer's Association Lebanon
Contact information (Work)
Alzheimer’s Association Lebanon
+9611339606
+9613245606
Community/Lebanon Impact
Diane Mansour obtained the international MetLife Award for the “Capacity Building Program,” which was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and reached more than 800 families in the most remote areas of Lebanon.
She was appointed as Special Envoy to Alzheimer’s Disease International in the MENA region, with the aim of encouraging the establishment of similar associations in Arab countries. In this capacity, she organized a regional conference for the MENA region in Dubai in 2014.
She played a key role in putting Alzheimer’s on the map and raising awareness threefold: (1) among medical professionals, nurses, and doctors, whose training and academic background had previously included only marginal information on Alzheimer’s disease; (2) among the general public, where she focused on correcting misconceptions with the aim of eliminating stigma and positioning Lebanon on par with Western countries regarding Alzheimer’s awareness; and (3) most importantly, among family members and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Her efforts were particularly rewarding in changing the perspectives and, consequently, the lives of caregivers, thereby improving the quality of life of people living with Alzheimer’s.
Work history
Previous Professions:
- Founder of Alzheimer's Association Lebanon, 2003
- President, 2003 - 2019, Alzheimer’s Association Lebanon.
- Executive Director, 1998 - 2003, Artyr.
- Purchasing Manager, 1984 - 1998, G. Zahar & Co.
- Education Projects Officer, 1982 - 1983, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- Assistant Sales Manager, 1979 - 1982, Mini Micro Computer Corporation (M2C2).
Major Achievements
Major achievements:
- Developing and deploying numerous initiatives to raise awareness about Alzheimer disease through public meetings, advertising with billboard campaigns, publishing articles, television interviews and press releases.
- Organizing workshops for nurses and hospital staff covering all the areas of Lebanon.
- Running seminars for enhancing the quality of care in nursing homes.
- Developing and solely managing the Association’s website including up to date daily news on the disease.
- Developing a country-wide help line where family members of Alzheimer’s disease can discuss their situation and give both verbal and hands on assistance to those in need.
- Organizing meet-and-greet sessions with over one thousand families on a one on one basis in the AAL headquarters and often, when needed, had the meetings at the patient’s houses.
- Building a library with many resources where interested members of the association can borrow books, DVDs and brochures.
- Providing special equipments for patients.
- Representing Lebanon’s association in over 30 international conferences and workshops.
- Launching the “Capacity Building Program” for health and social staff working in the Community Development Centers of the Ministry of Social Affairs, 2010.
- Launching a series of workshops titled “Breaking Barriers: Staff Training in Lebanese Hospitals”, 2009 - 2010.
- Translating the first book The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care to Arabic and distributing 2000 copies, 2006.
- Organizing the first conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in the Middle East, 2005.
- Instigating and leading the establishment of the Association for Alzheimer’s in Tunisia, 2005.
- Founding the first association in Lebanon dedicated to Alzheimer and managing it through voluntary funding, 2004.
Exhibitions, lectures & performances:
Monthly Lectures about Alzheimer's disease:
- Psychological Stress of Alzheimer’s Disease on Family Members;
- Breaking Barriers: Staff Training in Lebanese Hospitals;
- La Gestion Institutionnelle de la Vieillesse: Les Maisons de Retraite au Liban[Institutional Management of Old Age: Elderly Homes in Lebanon].
Competences & Skills
Field(s) of Expertise:
- Elderly Care
- Education Outreach
- Motivational Speaker
Languages:
- Arabic
- English
- French
- Spanish