This is the also the full article by Wong Kim Hoh the Straits Times Senior Writer, It Changed My Life: Author, activist and poet living with dementia, an interview done for The Straits Times in Asia last year during my trip to support Alzheimer’s Disease Association Singapore. Dementia definitely changed my life. Mostly, for the better. (Kate Swaffer, © 2018)…
Here’s hoping I can do a few of these things in this quote… and thanks to one of my friends and fellow dementia activists, Agnes Houston for alerting me to it! I had meant to publish a blog on New Years Day, simply to wish everyone a great 2018, but my body, mind and soul…
It concerns me that such a fuss is made in the media about people (usually more so when they are celebrities) when they either get a diagnosis, or die from dementia. Surely dying is a natural part of life, and for those left behind, just as devastating when it’s from the violation on the body…
When first diagnosed with dementia, I was devastated, truly fearful and in total shock, as I had no idea young people could get dementia. I cried for many weeks, and jogged for as long, as fast, and as often as possible, until the pain of running took over from the pain of the diagnosis, and…
There has been, for many years, discussions, requests, even what could be seen as begging from may of us diagnosed with dementia to use respectful language. That means, respectful from our point of view, not those who are not diagnosed with dementia. Of course, people with dementia do suffer some of the time, but we…
A lazy Sunday reblog from 2012… partly about my diagnosis, and also on how distasteful the notion of being shut away in an activities room doing something truly mindless (to me) like Bingo is. Some of the comments on this blog are interesting too. It ends by saying: “Please don’t simply shut us away in the…
In 2016, the Australian Government announced it would establish Specialist Dementia Care Units (SDCUs) to support people who experience very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Many of you who read this blog will know, I don’t believe in BPSD, and in fact, feel strongly against this term, and the very negative labels it…
“Be informed, inspired, incentivised, indignant, & incensed” was the heading of NCDAllliance Forum 2017 Update on December 11, 2017. The update began with this powerful quote from Katie Dain, CEO of the NCD Alliance. “We urge you to continue the conversations you started here. Continue communicating with partners – both old and new. Continue listening to and…
About Universal Health Coverage Day I’m still in Sharjah, hence it is still the December 12 here, which each year is Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. I felt it important and extremely relevant to publish this blog today as UHC is something that has been missing in action for people with dementia and our families…
Not so long ago, I met a wonderful woman online called Minna Packer after she joined Dementia Alliance International. She definitely seemed to be struggling with having been diagnosed with dementia, and I remember that very dark place only too well. Minna inspires me, and I’m now pleased to say, has, perhaps without realising it, encouraged me to…
A few weeks ago I presented at an event as an opening keynote speaker; when my agent asked for a speakers fee, they were advised there was no budget for this. I agreed anyway, as believe it is important to talk about human rights, and to represent DAI. However, disturbingly, during one of the breaks on…
I’m posting this today as the DAI Brain Health Hub members, who are a group of people living with dementia supporting each other to stay motivated to keep on track with the Bredesen reCode protocol diet and lifestyle. We had a discussion about whether Dr Atkins versus Dr Grundy and Dr Bredesen on the revised…
On Wednesday afternoon this week, my husband and I attended the State Parliamentary session of the Legislative Council in Parliament House, Adelaide. The Hon Kelly Vincent MLC, the fearless and remarkable young woman who is the Leader of the Dignity Party in SA, made a motion recognising me for winning the SA 2017 Australian Of…
This week I was asked to provide some information about one of DAI’s founding members, the late Richard Taylor Ph.D. I headed to my files (word and emails) simply titled: Richard Taylor. It was an opportunity to reflect when not feeling hopeless, as it’s often Richard who I turn to when I want to give up…
My blog is a bit rambling today, as it talks about death and dying, cognitive capacity and other related topics. Sorry if I should have made it three or four blogs, but I’m here so rarely these days, I took the chance to finish writing it, and this is what I (therefore we) have ended…
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