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…
In the last few days, someone asked me for this list/graphic of a power point slide I have of it, but I cannot find my notes, nor remember who, hence I am reposting it here today. Please feel free to download it and share it, but also reference it to me. Thanks. And I hope…
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull is now only in my thoughts rather than hanging in my office, although I do have a photograph of him on my computer desktop and phone wallpaper. This year, more than ever before, I have relied on my seagull Jonathon, or at least the meaning of what he stands for, and I miss his…
Most years, I am more than frenetic throughout September, ensuring Dementia Alliance International (DAI) has blog content to post for every day of World Alzheimer’s Month also know as Dementia Awareness Month, and blog content to post here every day. For all sorts of reasons, including health, that has not been possible. I have certainly been wondering,…
Firstly, thanks to @ML_Leaver for permission to use this image, and well done for the great hair colour supporting the gay marriage campaign by the team at Rock Retro Scissors in Adelaide! Prior to being diagnosed with dementia, I understood intellectually that some groups in our community were disadvantaged, and being treated unfairly, being discriminated and…
I’m often asked for a various lengths of my bio and this is one version I gave recently: Kate Swaffer is a published academic and author, an international speaker, an activist, and a dementia and aged care consultant; she is a retired nurse, has a Masters of Science in Dementia (Distinction, 2014), and is a…
Over the voting period of my life, I’ve been a political swinger, and the last couple of years, had actually become a political atheist, even joining the Facebook group of that name! In my home state, I have now decided to support Dignity Party SA, and will write occasionally about why I have decided to…
Over the years, it has come to my attention that others speak about me as one of the #DementiaLanguagePolice. There are many of us around the world, and we constantly have to put up with being labelled sufferers of dementia, even when most of the time, we are more often suffering because of this label,…
Whilst this blog is not exactly a discussion on the new narrative of dementia, which is my current my #hottopic, this YouTube video sent to me by The Amazing Susan and makes it reasonably clear what I mean… and although it gave me a good laugh, it hits home exactly about what has been annoying…
Quora is a site I follow, and when I have time, also read the occasional article there if it is topical or seems interesting. However, since being lied about by people (no, not ‘close friends and family’ as they claimed to be) who I believe to be narcissists, I’ve been taking more notice of the…
Those of you who follow me here will know I recently had an issue with the cover of my book in the German translation being published by hogrefe, What the hell happened to my brain?: Living beyond dementia. I am more than delighted to say again it has been resolved, but I’d like to comment further,…
Many who have been reading my blogs for a few years, or are connected on social media with me, will know I have a friend in the UK who was a clinical neurologist, and who is now also an eminent academic and author. Like me, he can be a tad short tempered, and does not…
You may be wondering what I mean by that quote? Well, to start with I can most certainly guarantee no-one with dementia ‘lives well’ or even ‘beyond dementia’ all of the time. For that matter, with or without dementia, not everyone lives well all of the time ! But people with dementia appearing to live…
My book, What the hell happened to my brain?: Living beyond dementia was published recently in German. Whilst I was happy the rights were bought for it to be translated into German, I was very unhappy with the image they used on the cover, without my knowledge or consent. The image they chose was of someones…
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