It is easy to become despondent about one’s own difficulties, or about the usual snails pace of change, but once the ripple in the pond has been started, as long as we don’t give up, positive and sometimes even great things can be achieved. This week has seen the announcement of an exciting milestone.

Joan Jackman is a member of Alzheimer’s Australia’s Consumer Dementia Research Network (CDRN) and will sit on the centre’s management committee to facilitate engagement of consumers. Joan and her two children cared for her husband who lived with a form of Younger Onset Dementia for more than a decade. Joan sent this email out to other CDRN members yesterday. I have been a member of this committee for only a few months, and will be working on a number of the Subgroups and Projects.

“The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler MP, officially launched the $25 Million ‘National Partnership Centre for Cognitive and Related Functional Decline in the Older Person’ yesterday in Perth at 11.30 am.   There were several media releases, including from Glenn Rees for Alzheimer’s Australia, which some of you may have seen.   CDRN Member, Tony Ramshaw, represented the CDRN at the launch, giving a brief Presentation highlighting the significance of the Centre, including the involvement of Consumers (CDRN Members) in working with the Partnership Centre’s Research Project Teams.

It was wonderful to see this launch finally take place yesterday, following unanticipated and unavoidable delays in the Government being able to make this launch a priority.   This made the launch all the ‘sweeter’ and more welcome for everyone involved, including Alzheimer’s Australia.   The Partnership Centre is now ‘official’ and the Chief Investigator, Associate Professor Sue Kurrle,  is now able to  progress the 14 Research  Projects for which the Centre is  responsible under the approved PC Workplan.

This Partnership Centre is innovative and unique, in bringing together Researchers, Service Providers, Policy Makers and CONSUMERS in working together to bring about improvements in the quality of dementia care and services across the community, hospitals and residential care.   Through the vision of Alzheimer’s Australia and the commitment of Sue Kurrle, there is CDRN Consumer representation on the Partnership Centre’s Management Team; a small Sub-Committee of CDRN Members to contribute to and support Consumer involvement in the Projects; as well as the alignment of CDRN Members for involvement in specific Projects (as nominated by CDRN Members).

This is a unique opportunity, as Consumers, to actively contribute to achieving significant improvement in the quality of life for people living with dementia and for the people who care for them.   Thank you to Glenn Rees and everyone at Alzheimer’s Australia who have worked to bring this about, and also to Sue Kurrle, for making this possible.

It is with us now to be involved and contribute to the best of our collective abilities.”

This is the official  Media Release from Glenn Rees, the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia, and

Tony Ramshaw, a member of the committee speaking on behalf of the group at the launch in Perth.