Mick Carmody, Kate Swaffer & John Sandblom, ADI2015 Perth
Well, it has been a frantic few days, and between the conference presentations, activities, the Dementia Alliance International stand and various meetings, it has been especially busy. On top of that, there has been a bit of a frenetic pace on social media happening as well, as we have all been trying to keep those people with dementia who have been interested and not able to be here, updated! Of course, other friends have been enjoying the updates too, and if not, then hopefully just ignoring them, not feeling annoyed by it all!?
I’ve added an image of our stand in the Exhibition Hall, that many of you may have seen. I know my dear husband will not have been on social media, and as he helped me so much with organising the poster and flyers, thought he might be interested. The poster tittle “Not Just A Challenging Behaviour” was a big hit with many people, and I will add that when I get home as a downloadable PDF, as many have asked me for a copy of it.
It is over now, and many people have either left for home, or a holiday somewhere in Western Australia. I fly home tomorrow, and a few friends here with me are flying in too and staying until Wednesday. My dear girlfriend Jacinta is meeting us there on Sunday to meet them and join in the fun. We definitely deserve a few days of respite after working so hard this last week, and respite at my house in Adelaide will be so much more fun than in an Aged Care facility!!!
It’s been wonderful to follow the proceedings from afar. Thank you so much for keeping those of us who were unable to be there “in the know.”
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Thanks Dave… it has been great for us there, so read everyone’s enthusiastic responses too! At the times we were ready for bed, they often kept us going…
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You are an inspiration Kate.
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No more no less than anyone else Bronwen… x
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Honestly Kate, I don’t know how you maintain the pace you do… you are amazing.
BTW, I didn’t know you live in Adelaide. I lived there for a year in the late 1970s – worked as a waitress in the pub and the restaurant at the Old Lion Hotel 🙂 Had an Aussie boyfriend… Fond memories.
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We are both full of surprises it seems! I have an annual lunch at The Old Lion hotel, for the annual Cancerian Club ;lunch, where everyone has to be a Cancerian (obviously) and we spend the day saying happy birthday the whole time! It is hilarious… and we raise money for charity at the same time. I’ll now think of you when I’m there x
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Not one post irritated..but inspired. Will look forward to seeing that poster since I work in a unit where challenging behaviour is our term of reference yet what I see is distress rather than challenging behaviour, with the challenge for us being the alleviation of distress. When we get that right, there’s less need to talk about challenging behaviour. Thank you.
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Thanks Cath… I’ll add that poster ASAP! I’ve had some academics argue with me until they are blue in the face, telling me I am wrong, and they are 100% right that referring to PEOPLE as behaviours, is not causing poor care. Interestingly arrogant and self righteous about it too, which as academics, I would have expected better. Even when I suggested they further investigate and read Dr Allan Power’s work and two books on other more holistic ways to improve care of people with dementia and the elderly in residential care, they just said his work offended them… WTF!
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Shocking response….I would be interested to read the books you recommended….I think our service wants to move away from these unhelpful ways of seeing people….we work hard to see the person and value knowledge about their lives….maybe practitioners rather than academics can lead the sea change with the help of folk like you….
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Thanks Cath… and I hope we see some positive change, sooner rathe than later!
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