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…
Kay Bransford, a long time virtual friend of mine wrote on her blog Dealing with dementia, in a post titled “Letting us in”; “I learned that once my mom was having cognitive issues, I couldn’t expect her to change. I had to change. We (my siblings and I) made life choices for her when she no…
Well, I’ve realised my husband is right and I am probably an idiot as I book in too many meetings when we travel. Below is an updated itinerary as of today, as some meetings changed overnight, but who knows, if I can squeeze any more in, I’m sure I will find a way! We are…
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…
Too often I watch an interview of a care partner about life supporting someone with dementia, and they speak with incredible love, but often in paternalistic and patronising ways. In this way they subconsciously continue the myth that people with dementia are the ‘real sufferers’. What they are really expressing, in my mind, is their…
On Monday night this week, there was a television program in Australia (4 Corners) on the ABC which featured three couples with dementia. I had a reasonable idea it would be full of suffering, although it showed a lot of love and living as well as humanly possible as well, but from all accounts, it…
Someone just reposted this article on Facebook, and mostly because our amazing wonder-cat is Mr Boris is actually featured in the article and this photo, I am posting it here! In the article my Neuro-physiotherapist, Associate Professor (at the time of the article, a PhD Dr) James Mcloughlin said: “We’ve got pretty good evidence to show…
Hello Sunday! Earlier this morning someone posted the video below on Facebook, and it made me cry, but it also helped me find the strength to stop feeling annoyed about some of the challenges of dementia,and get back to working on my paddling! Watching it also made me even more aspirational in my dream that…
Seneca on Grief and the Key to Resilience in the Face of Loss: An Extraordinary Letter to His Mother I’m a bit slower off the mark than I once was, and although I thought my feelings these last few months were mostly based on betrayal, and the anger and extreme sadness caused by the lies…
Following yesterdays SA update, here is a brief national update from ProBono Australia who reported on the NDIS late last week, written by Rachel McFadden (29 July 2017); NDIS Having a Life Changing Impact Despite First Year ‘Teething Problems’ On the eve of the first anniversary of the Australia-wide rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme…
This week, I thought I’d begin with news about the NDIS in South Australia, partly because it was celebrated by many of us with the Dignity Party SA on the weekend, with a giant NDIS celebration cake (gluten free, although definitely not sugar free), as pictured here! The media release was sent out Friday about it,…
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…
On May 29 this year, the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia 2017-2025 was unanimously adopted. The following is the announcement made in Geneva: Delegates at the World Health Assembly have reached new agreements on dementia; immunization; refugee and migrant health; substandard and falsified medical products, and the world…
My second dementia book, Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, co authored with my friend and colleague Associate Professor Lee-Fay Low was released recently as an e-book through the Apple iBooks Store which you can find here… The following is the Foreword written by Professor Henry Brodarty: “Dementia is never one person’s illness. Its ripples spread wide, enveloping…
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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