Here is the link to some of the speeches from the Younger Onset Dementia: A new horizon 2013 summit. I can only have faith the enormous effort, and the toll it took on me, and I am sure the other people with dementia and their loving family supporters will be worth it.

Glenn Rees, the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia with the support of an extraordinary team in the national office, has initiated progress in so many areas. He has lobbied carefully and thoughtfully, but constantly for over 11 years, and with the support of Ita Buttrose as President for the last 2-3 years, awareness has been raised dramatically. One consultant at the summit from the Royal Melbourne Hospital said they now have many people ringing weekly, asking to be tested for dementia, before seeing their own gp.

It is great to now have people without dementia lobbying for our basic human rights.

I have often likened telling my family and friends I had been diagnosed with dementia to be what I imagined it might to be like ‘coming out’ being gay. Earlier this week, I also likened being 100% in support of a person’s right to choose Voluntary Euthanasia as being similar to ‘coming out’. MW Wighton in a comment also likened this to ‘coming out’ about sexual orientation.

The stigma of dementia is still very potent in the community, as well as with service providers and the medical community. They are not used to the fact when diagnosed early, we are not going to fit ‘their mould’ and are more likely to speak out! And, we will demand that we are afforded our basic human rights.

Dementia is no longer in the closet! Hip hip hooray.