The final day of our conference has opened doors and galvanised change. To commence the proceedings today, a gentleman called Eric from Townsville, living with a diagnosis of dementia was added to the program at short notice and asked to tell his story. Eric’s story clearly showed us the human cost of this hideous disease.…
Silence shadows me, like a soft cloud of hope. It transports me through my wildest dreams, takes me to places unheard of, new destinations; transports me along exciting roads, with wild aspirations. The golden rays of ideas blossoming inside my brain, at the centre of my heart, the core of my being. List upon list upon list of things to do,…
Music Wafting along corridors Into the recesses of our mind Awakening the soul Memories stirred Thoughts of yesterdays And long lost loves Visions rekindled Childhoods and playgrounds Tucked inside school yards Teachers and yard duty Old boyfriends and love letters Tattooed with red lipstick kisses Whispering to heart heartstrings Rekindling moments lost in time Healing all wounds
Sometimes, making changes to our thinking or behaviour makes us different to our family or friends, which for many is a strong deterrant not to. Being different, not taking those party drugs or drinking that beer or wine, when all of our friends are, can be challenging. The impact of serious chronic or terminal illness…
I promised someone I would post the speeches I gave in Taipei… here is the presentation on driving. Glenn Rees, the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia disagrees with me, and probably many others will disagree with me, but interestingly, the people with dementia in the audience who listened to my presentation, all agreed with me. Dementia and the…
In the 7th May email newsletter from the Australian Institute of Management South Australia (AIM); “Just how important it is to use correct grammar is highlighted in the May issue of Management Today. According to the magazine, knowing the difference between “you’re” and “your” could be one indicator of future career success. The article reads,…
Sometimes we are so caught up in who’s right and who’s wrong that we forget what’s right and wrong… We’ve all been caught up by that mistake, and as I listen more these days and often hear others so who are set on being right about a situation or issue with another person or organisation, it is hurting…
Yesterday A week full of head spins On Monday a visit to the neurologist The results of the latest SPECT scan and the neuropsychology tests… Bad news The dementia has progressed clinically My frontal lobes are now involved Yet still I am not presenting as badly as the clinical picture indicates… Good news I wonder what this…
Many times I have written about human rights in aged and dementia care as listed in the related articles below. There are many who agree with me, and then others who think I am too harsh on an industry doing its best to care for people with dementia, with low wages and limited funding to provide…
Since being diagnosed with dementia and joining the global campaign by people with dementia to help improve things such as person centred care, and advocating for what are the most basic of human rights for PWD, it fascinates me we still have so far to go in achieving this. Why are people with dementia having to fight so hard to be…
Today’s blog is late, and is all about me… me… me, and my dear husband and children too of course. I should have posted something before I went to see my neurologist Dr Casse at lunch time, but as I slept in I didn’t have time. I have seen Dr Casse a few times since…
Today is Day 28 of my National Poem Writing Month challenge, and I have managed to write a haiku each day, often using an image to spark my imagination. Todays poem is called Alone and has me thinking more about loneliness, dementia and dying. I’m not so sure the loneliness is any worse than when you are facing…
My ability to continue to write a blog every day is deteriorating, and so it seemed a sensible idea to set out a plan to ensure I can continue blogging in some way because the value of doing it is significant. As of today, Saturdays are to become my poetry day and I have written…
Treating symptoms in the early stages of dementia, as the gateway to supporting disabilities, not managing them in ways that restrict and hinder, and managing emotional changes with counselling and positive engagement, rather than treating the symptoms with drugs, have become paramount to my well being and perceived longevity. If the symptoms of dementia were…
lib·er·a·tion (l b -r sh n). n. 1. The act of liberating or the state of being liberated. 2. The act or process of trying to achieve equal rights and status. My computer and internet access are more important to me than just staying connected. This connectedness helps to make up for the lost friendships, the loss…
You must be logged in to post a comment.