Below are some screen shots of some positive comments via email and twitter following an article I co authored with my dear friend and colleague Shibley Rahman. If I was able to, I would have embedded the twitter comments, but alas, even after quite a few attempts, I gave up! So far, we have only had one piece of active and open negative feedback, but as always, not agreeing with the ‘majority’ can cause others to become defensive. After all, our article is only another way of looking at the dementia friendly communities ‘movement’. Davids comment on Twitter resonates with what I have believed about these campaigns for more than six years:
“Reading it was like a drink of clear water after too much fizzy carbonated gunk.”
A young friend is currently writing a guest blog for me, curiously about Alpacas and sheep, which I hope to add to my blog soon. Apparently it is very relevant to the few of us who dare to challenge things, and stand up and speak out as activists.
Our article, Assets based approaches to dementia friendly communities, begins with this introduction:
Whilst it is possible that dementia-friendly communities simply evolve unilaterally due to various uncontrollable forces, a serious consideration, we feel, should be made to enquire whether dementia-friendly communities actually aim to promote the health of people with dementia and care partners. It is argued that an influence of the biomedical approach has been accompanied by an overly negative discourse, with a focus on symptoms, deficits and emotionally charged metaphors about dementia that have influenced the overall public perception (Zeilig, 2014). This focus may not be totally beneficial, however. In anaesthetics, ‘fixation errors’ occur when the practitioner concentrates solely upon a single aspect of a case to the detriment of other more relevant aspects (Fioratou, Flin, & Glavin, 2010). Fixation errors, indeed, are well recognised in anaesthetic practice and can contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality. With shifting the focus on how businesses might win more customers by being ‘dementia friendly’, securing a competitive advantage through ‘nudging’, other promising avenues of dementia-friendly communities, such as implementing rights enshrined within the UN Convention of Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) and other Conventions, might not be given proper prominence.
Thanks for the feedback…
Dementia friendly a phrase much used but never a reality. I and we have been selling this idea in a couples
caregiving plan for years and are held back by for profit making nursing homes who want patients in and out to keep the beds warm and Governments lost in the poliitical scene forgetting that we must wage war on the dementia pandemic instead of rattling saber against other countries. Of course we are here in the USA. The theme is dismantle social entitlements for seniors and the underclass to make up increased tax benefits to the rich. Universally unfortunately, one show does not fit all and we continue our fight seeking relief in our next election to restore our humanity towards victims of these horrible diseases that eludes the world of researchers.
How patronising and paternalistic the teem is as well… it’s about access and inclusion of everyone. Without the need to label by disease!
Thats so lovely Kate and well deserved-so happy to hear that and you deserve everything of the best!💜
Thanks Sam… hope your birthday goes on for a whole month! X
Same!Although it was prolonged by 2 days by having a friend round!😅😅
I think “negative” comments are essential for the process of growth, change, and the evolution of ideas, as long as they are constructive and not destructive. Hmmmmm. Come to think of it, destructive may be useful as well 🙂 I have downloaded the piece and will give my feedback once I have read it 🙂
All comments are useful, perhaps even the truly character assassinations, cyber bullying and slanderous ones, as even they teach us positive lessons! Against the law they may be, but in many ways that’s irrelevant, as what they say reflects on the person defaming you. Looking forward to your comments! X