Urgent Attention: Gabriella Rogers and 9News This letter is in response to the entitled “New Drug to Treat Behavioural Issues in Dementia Patients”, publicised on Aug.18th 2018 at 6pm. “This report misrepresents both the facts and the real-world experiences of people living with dementia. The report positions all behaviour, moods and reactions within the frame of a dementia diagnosis…
Our first published Letter to the Editor, promoting the continuation of the campaign to ban the false construct known as BPSD (Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia). A few years ago, Professor Dawn Brooker started a group called “GAP in Dementia Care”, which consisted of a large group of academics, dementia professionals and included people…
Thanks to Tracey Maxfield for this quote. These are probably the exact same reasons people with dementia appear upset or ‘ANGRY’! Except, they get blamed for it, the pathology of their dementia is seen as the root cause, hence they get restrained, physically or chemically, for their so-called BPSD!!! Hence our #BanBPSD campaign… My only modification…
Many people with dementia or their families and care partners do significant amounts of unpaid work for their own self advocacy, or for advocacy and many other organisations. DAI as an organisation, and one I am truly proud to be a co-founder of, does this as well. DAI provides speakers for conferences, events and publication launches,…
At last, many people are on the same page as people with dementia, who have been asking and ultimately begging for rehabilitation and human rights for many years. I’m past caring who takes the credit, receives the kudos for this positive change, as long as it changes!!! Below is a list of just a few…
Having been nicknamed Smiley as a young school girl, I can attest to the power of optimism. I found this quote in an airline magazine recently, but forgot to write down who it comes from! Maybe Meryl Streep, but I’m not 100% sure! Anyway, it resonated with me deeply, as I have been innately optimistic…
I’ve been researching inclusion, accessibility and friendly, along with a number of terms regularly used within the dementia sector. One of the reasons is because of the ‘lightbulb’ moment I had last week, during an email discussion with people from a number of countries, where they no longer use the word dementia. In fact, they have…
A couple of weeks ago, I spent two days supporting the Canadian government by attending and speaking at their first National Dementia Conference, to help inform the development of their National Dementia Strategy. It was a personally very expensive exercise as reimbursement for costs to attend still pending, but in so many other ways, it…
This video, which was produced by ADA Australia and their media team, is very relevant to the Seventy First World Health Assembly I am attending this week, and the National Dementia Conference I attended in Canada last week. I thank them for their permission to publish it on my YouTube Channel. (ps a shocking ‘first image’…
A few weeks ago I was interviewed for an article in OX Magazine UK. One question from the journalist who interviewed was particularly interested in my thoughts about the renaming of Dementia Awareness Week in the UK, which commences next week, where it is transformed into Dementia Action Week. Below is an excerpt from the…
Recently I was chatting with one of my online friends with dementia in Canada, Christine T. She lives alone, so doesn’t have the luxury of the support of a partner to be her BUB. My BUB is at work every day, so in that time I’m doing it alone too. Anyway, Christine and I both…
Life with dementia is one very tough gig. Being a dementia activist though, makes a diagnosis of dementia seem easy! There are 24 hours in every day, and for about 18 of them, when I’m awake, I am constantly thinking of giving up my activism and even the more moderate advocacy. Thankfully people do appreciate…
Jessica Young who is a PhD student at Flinders University and Western University in Canada wrote a review of my first dementia book, and then asked me to respond to her review. The review was published recently in the Dementia Journal, was also published here today, and on her blog, as we have both been granted permission from…
I’ve been reading and processing a lot of literature and published content about cyber bullying and defamation over many years, and now, more particularly, the impact of this on people who are diagnosed with dementia. This particular TED Talk is worth watching, and has informed my thinking; at some stage, I hope to publish a…
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