Yesterday I ran a pre conference workshop called Diagnosed with dementia: What next? as part of the National Dementia Congress in Melbourne, where I am presenting YOD: Reclaiming my life today. The workshop yesterday was with a small group of people working in the dementia sector, nurses, psychologists, social workers and so on, all keen to provide…
Happy wedding anniversary To the love of my life My best friend My Back Up Brain The reason I work so hard To stay afloat by paddling You are my rock And the army beside me Watching and protecting Yet allowing me to shine in my own light We are aware of each others shadows…
For six months now, I have been visiting and working in the Kiama area as part of the contracted consultancy role I have until this week with Alzheimer’s Australia, on the dementia friendly community Pilot Project with the local Kiama council, Alzheimer’s Australia and the University of Wollongong. The main challenge has been to involve and…
Today I am publishing a guest blog, written by a woman I am honoured to know, and whom I often feel in awe of. Judy has given me permission to share her story of living alone with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. My blog title uses the word dementia, as her story applies to anyone living…
An online friend (thankx i0) sent me this yesterday, and I’m sure you will enjoy it; Glenn Campbell’s song on living with Alzheimer’s Disease.
From my perspective, it seems the two things care partners either forget, don’t realise, or forget to acknowledge, is that we (people with dementia) have feelings, and we, not them, are diagnosed with a progressive, chronic and terminal illness. We are facing our own mortality. Dementia is a progressive debilitating illness with little treatment, and no…
For anyone who wants a copy of my book And wants to support Alzheimer’s Australia South Australia I have donated a carton of my books to them Now available in their online store To assist them with their important work Not just dementia research but Advocating for and supporting People with dementia and our families…
Prescribed Disengagement Puts people with dementia into a bubble One of disablement and disempowerment Sending us to aged care and death No words of life as we once knew it Nor signs it will ever return Not a glimpse of well being ahead Now is the time Like a beautiful butterfly Emerging from its cocoon That…
It was a long and rather tedious day last Friday. I attended a SA Health “Transforming Health Summit”, and not only was there nothing about dementia, when I and others brought it up, people like the Honourable Jack Snelling M.P. (Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) and the appointed Clinical Ambassador…
A sense of loneliness So deep It takes my breath away Reminding me of those departed Lingering inside my heart Lost to the stigma of dementia Tales of despair Whisperings of days gone by Deteriorating abilities Sadness sitting just inside my soul Yearning for my loss of self Footnote: Through this blog, and other social…
Spot the person with dementia… So many people are living with dementia though we can look the same as those others supporting us and caring for us not living with it but living alongside those of us diagnosed with dementia. No-one would dare to say they were living with cancer or HIV Aids unless they were diagnosed…
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