Since my own diagnosis of a younger onset dementia 13 years ago, I continue to be disturbed by the lack of recognition of dementia as a disability and lack of proactive support to live with dementia. People newly diagnosed with dementia already have their hope taken away at the time of diagnosis, so to have…
Last week, I was pleased to be invited by the University of South Australia Chancellor Pauline Carr to attend the Adelaide International Women’s Day Breakfast, #IWD2021 highlighting women’s leadership this year. The MC was the wonderful Sonya Feldhoff from ABC Radio Adelaide, and guest speakers included Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Leader of the Opposition…
This week has me deeply disturbed, angry, sad and yesterday, even tearful about quite a few things, none of which are personal matters, even though some who read this will already know I do have a few serious personal issues to be worried about at the moment too! But, onto one of the reasons I…
WANDERING the WARDS An Ethnography of Hospital Care and its Consequences for People Living with Dementia By Katie Featherstone and Andy Northcott This is an interesting and useful book, based on the wanderings of the authors and staff, NOT the patients with dementia in hospitals! This book is especially timely in light of the release…
A fellow activist and dear friend of mine from from Germany attempted to comment on one of my recent blogs about the lack of services or tangible change for people with dementia and their care partners and/or families. Unfortunately she had trouble getting the comments posted, so sent them privately, and with her permission I’ve…
Hello there! It has been quite a while since I contributed to my own blog and website, and I feel like I’ve missed out on some great conversations. The one thing I love about feedback is that we get to hear about different views on topics, and even if we don’t agree with each other,…
The rights of persons with dementia most often continue to be ignored, and denied. In this series of webinars, I hope this is the beginning of change, at least in one area of post diagnostic support, namely, rehabilitation. My blog today is of my presentation at this series of webinars, which were hosted by Lee-Fay…
Today is the final day of Dementia Awareness Month 2020, and it has been a marathon of sorts posting daily blogs, although it has been helpful having hundreds in my draft folder. It now takes me a long time to read, think things through, and even longer after than to write coherently. So, as I…
I’ve written many time about BPSD or ‘challenging behaviours’ as well as what I have termed BPSC-19, but the comparison may not be obvious to everyone. Hence, for day 27 of Dementia Awareness Month in 2020, I decided to list the ‘symptons’ of each here. If we check out the two lists we could be…
An article published in April 2019 Language paradigms when behaviour changes with dementia: #BanBPSD, rather ironically helps explain to me why we need to ban the contruct known as the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD), and not just change the name. I’m doubtful that was the intention of the authors… Over the last…
You may not believe it, or see it, but people with dementia are still being Prescribed Disengagement®, and only supported to die, rather than to live positively. You may not believe it, but if you have a stroke, you will recieve rehabilitation, whereas if you are diagnosed with dementia, you won’t. You may not believe…
There are more than 50 million people living with dementia and a new diagnosis somewhere in the world every 3.2 seconds (WHO). I am one of them. Since my own diagnosis 12 years ago, I went from the depths of despair and hopelessness after being diagnosed, primarily caused by the Prescribed Disengagement®, to becoming a…
On July 1, 2012, I published a blog titled Dr Martin Luther King Jr asked ‘Is it right?” which I have added below, with a few edits or comments made in pink. It is interesting to me to read it again, and for a change, I still agree with most things I wrote back then.…
Once again, I have committed to post a daily blog in September, my feeble attempt at a contribution to Dementia Awareness Month, even though I am under no illusions of the value of doing so. Todays is about not giving up. Those of you who have read my blogs this month will know I have…
We are well over half way through Dementia Awareness Month, and I’m tired, but continuing with my daily blog series, in an effort to create new thinking, and discussion. Some of the topics I’ve chosen are difficult to write about, like this one,. They may even cause offence to others, including causing dissent amongst some…
