A love story on #DAM2015 Day 11

Here’s a feel good story for Dementia Awareness Month Day 11! Perhaps we all need a day of of dementia, especially for a gorgeous Koala story about love. Baby Koala Clings to Mother As She Undergoes Emergency Surgery at Australia Zoo “It’s no surprise a baby wouldn’t want to let go of his mama while she underwent…

Being a “burden” to our care partners

Yearning for life before dementia Never to return At least, not until I die But I say to myself Each and every single day There is no need to die now The sadness stalks me Tempting me to give in to dementia Hiding in the recesses of my mind Telling me to stop paddling To…

Dementia and love

For Dementia Awareness Month Day 7, I have been attending a Research Forum, with no time for writing and blogging, or even finishing off one of my draft blogs, but this image and quote, from alzheimers.net says it all for me today. If you are a care partner for someone with dementia, and feeling jaded, over stretched, sad, or…

Women and dementia #DAM2015 Day 5

Continuing on with my self-imposed theme for week one of Dementia Awareness month 2015, women and dementia, I thought it was important to write about the women who are in caring roles for people with dementia. The research clearly shows the care partners of someone living with dementia are mostly women, and even though women also are diagnosed at a much higher rate than…

Women and Dementia #3 – DAM2015 Day 3

  Today’s blog is more personal and my rambling thoughts about my perspective as a wife and mother, of what it is like living with dementia, and the impact it has on me in those roles, and on my husband and children. When I was first diagnosed, the thought of not being there to see weddings, grandchildren,…

Women and dementia #DAM2015 Day 2

For Day 2 of Dementia Awareness Month 2015 I am continuing on with the topic of women and dementia, with a version of an article that was co-authored with two colleagues, Dementia Consultant, Michelle Harris and Associate Professor Cassandra Szoeke. Alzheimer’s Disease International also published a report in April found here Women and Dementia – ADI. A summary of this report can be downloaded…

Women and Dementia

As I have a vested interest in the topic (!), I am kicking off World Alzheimer’s Month™, by focusing on women and dementia. The prevalence of women in the data is far greater both in terms of those who are diagnosed, and also those who are unpaid care partners for someone diagnosed with dementia. Caring for others, not…

2015 Dignity in Care Australia Champion Awards

DO YOU KNOW A CHAMPION?   Dignity in Care Australia proudly invites you to nominate  an individual / group / organisation for the  following  categories.   Dignity Australia Champion award – Ralph Potter Award for Outstanding Contribution by an individual, group or organisation to Dignity in Care in Australia.  Other 2 categories – individual  and  group/organisation for …

Fear effects our dreaming

Fear Diagnosed with dementia Too often brings us intense fear Worry for our future Our losses Then Loss of reason Inability to think clearly Leaving us immobile Or raging In fight or Flight Or somewhere in between Nightmares and worrying Tempting us to give in To give up Don’t let fear cripple you Find a way, any way…