Non-pharmacological interventions, such as holistic options, improved diet, psychological and psychosocial interventions have the potential to improve cognitive function and therefore improve the quality of life. They can also delay institutionalisation, as well as reduce carer strain and psychological illness, thereby increasing wellness, and perceived longevity. Minimal attention has been paid to the specific needs…
An analysis of LinkedIn members suggests it is possible your name is affecting your career prospects. The analysis revealed shortened or monosyllabic names, such as Bob, Jack, Bruce and Fred, are the most popular names among male CEOs. Whereas for women, the opposite appears true, with names such as Deborah, Sally, Cynthia and Carolyn more…
Recently I gave a second nickname to my DH (dear husband!), which is BUB, or Back up Brain and we find this terminology far easier to live with than carer. We think of a back up brain as being the same as the hard drive in a computer. He said recently, it empowers him to be by my side and with me,…
The Scottish Dementia Working Group celebrated their 10th Anniversary at the ADI 2012 London conference. I found an article today that I am sharing below, written about them in 2008, and am surprised we are not further along the path of consumers with dementia having their voices not only heard, but ensuring significant change, rather…
With the diagnosis of a terminal illness, mortality gets to sit at your table, right next to the knife and fork, up close and personal, whispering messages that you might die much sooner than you thought. You do not get to continue to view death from the large platform called life, but from the edge of…
Yes, Shame has an offspring. I believe it is called secrecy. People hide their feelings, their illnesses and their family secrets because they feel ashamed. Owning diseases like mental illness and dementia are difficult, as people feel ashamed to have them, and become secretive about them. Why is it shameful to own up to mental illness…
The loneliness of illness and aging can be emotionally debilitating. The isolation, the fear, the reduced intimacy; sharing a room with a stranger in a nursing home, then being made to eat at a table full of strangers, in a huge room full of more strangers. Having someone undress you and put you to bed,…
In my early life I never worried about many things, and didn’t ever seriously consider the idea of living until I die. I did not live my life racing towards death, or ticking off things on a bucket list. In fact I didn’t have a bucket list. But I did have lists, and lists about lists, of…
There is no rhyme or reason to my thinking today, other than finding a recipe for my Project 366 Conversations and Recipes Page. I can’t find any of my blog drafts, cleverly but mysteriously filed away somewhere on my laptop, and can’t think of anything interesting to write about so I’m doing a bit of NaNoWriMo…
Living with incontinence is difficult, no matter what age you are. I have urge incontinence, probably a side effect of either the brain surgery I had in 2005. There is nothing mechanical going wrong that can be repaired, I simply don’t ever receive the messages from my brain to tell me I need to go. I published…
On national television recently I heard a woman who had been retrenched from her job make the comment I have lost the sense of who I am. This was very relevant to me as having to give up my paid employment, because of the symptoms of dementia, was very difficult. No-one ever asked me how it…
First up are the details for attending Laughter Boss Training in 2012. Although Perth, Melbourne and Sydney have already had their training sessions this year, you can attend any of the following dates: 25 May – Brisbane, 1 June – Gold Coast, 8 June – Newcastle, 22 June – Canberra, 6 July – Hobart, and…
ALL Australians are meant to be protected by The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a wonderful document one that took many years to design, and to get countries to agree to. However, it seems not to apply to the health and aged care system in Australia. When we look at this declaration, we fall short…
Just what is blogging? was the name of an event held at the SA Writer’s Centre which I attended with a fellow blogger and uni friend Elizabeth on Tuesday night, where Louise Pascale, Jane Howard and Sarah J Kreece presented on their experiences as bloggers and writers. It was interesting and educational and I thought…
It’s Friday morning, and I’ve woken up after a good Thursday night belly laugh. Aussie rules footy season is on again in Australia, although this is not what I consider real football (Rugby Union)!! Anyway, most of my friends know I don’t really love Aussie rules footy, and have only followed a team through absolute…
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