Otherwise known as teamtlc, this group was started by four amazing women (wives of husbands with younger onset dementia) in April 2012. They met with senior staff of Alzheimer’s SA to see if they could start up a fundraising committee for Younger Onset dementia, after hearing that the program called Connexus for YOD families could no longer accept new families due to not enough funding. From their personal experience they knew what the Connexus program had done for them, and could not accept this reduction of services, wanting to do something about it.

Also at that time, the little funding the Connexus program had received was only for the people with Younger Onset dementia, so they decided to try to support the Carers to have a break with activities like retreats, pampering days, time out and so on. They have no idea how well it would go, so started small, focusing on the carers supporting loved ones with Younger Onset dementia. If they are very successful, they can spread to support others.

The ‘girls’ chose the name for this fundraising committee “Teamtlc – tender loving carers, and found a very pertinent motto,

“We are not here to do great things. We are here to do small things with great love.” Mother Theresa.

As most of us know, Younger Onset dementia has up until very recently fallen under Aged Care with no funding. This might change, but to date Alzheimer’s SA have not had any funding come through from the changes, and when the Federal Government in Australia announced the funding changes that would go to Younger Onset dementia, they took it from the Aged Care funding. The lack of funding, awareness, support, research, residential care, services for younger onset makes them all angry, as this insidious and hideous terminal disease should be properly supported and funded. This is why many carers and now people with dementia have become such passionate advocates.

Please see the attached Invitation – An Afternoon with Fiona McIntosh – Fundraising for teamtlc and join them if you possibly can. Fiona McIntosh is the bestselling author of 24 novels across a number of genres. I have donated 28 poetry books for this group to sell, and the fabulous ladies from the COSY CLUB (see the last story) have knitted and donated a large bag of woollen items for them to sell to assist with their efforts. Jenny and the other girls invite you to join them for this fabulous inaugural teamtlc fundraising event.

The latest figure for people in Australia diagnosed with younger onset dementia is almost 24,000, and we have virtually no age appropriate services or support!