Wishing you all a happy weekend! As I have been so slack with blogging, I thought I would reblog a few of my posts from my Living Beyond Dementia site, which I think will need to be migrated over to this site anyway, or closed down. I am pretty sure I also need a pro bono web…
It is Christmas Eve in Australia, and after reading an article yesterday about really having time away from the daily routines and work, I have decided this is my last blog for 2015! I have had a truly incredible year, full of many highs and at least as many lows. It is wonderful that I have…
Yes, I am suffering… but only some of the time not every moment of every day And, importantly… not always from dementia more often from the language of dementia The symptoms of dementia do not consume me one hundred percent of the time Only some moments of some days and definitely not all days So why then must others…
I’ve written on this many times, but also feel, no matter how many times we talk about Neuroplasticity, and the brain’s ability to change and heal itself, it will never be enough as not everyone is yet listening. I am a firm believe, and have been for a very long time. I have also believed…
If you are someone with dementia, or supporting a person with dementia, remember they may have hurts and losses, perhaps even similar to what I describe below, but consciously or unconsciously exacerbated with all the ‘joy’ of an occasion like Christmas, that is ripping up their heart inside, and making them seem more anxious, upset or angry. They…
This is a simple, succinct quote on who’s got the problem in caring for or communicating with people with dementia, and if this point was taken seriously, and considered fully in the dementia sector, 90% of the so-called ‘challenging behaviours’ we are so negatively and glibly labelled with would probably never surface… If you can’t understand…
Breathe deeply Take a moment to relax Stop and smell the roses or lavender Take a bath or a swim Look in the mirror and say to yourself I am ok Have lunch with those you love Laugh, live and love More often In between the fast lane Called life in the 21st Century!
If giving the world the best I have, means I get kicked, loved, or ignored, it is still my choice to give it my best, and to speak up for all people with dementia, for our human rights, our disAbility rights, and for inclusion, no discrimination, reducing stigma and isolation, and for respect, including respectful…
One of the biggest challenges for me is letting go of the abilities I once had. Yes, I know it is easy to say, “but you can still do so many things”, but let me just say how devastating it is having to let go of functioning. I am not talking about physical functioning, as…
It seems my focus on our basic human rights, and disAbility rights, is keeping me focussed on the UN CRPD this week, and I suspect this is where I needed to be about six years ago when I first started speaking out as an advocate… better late than never! 🙂 Seeing the person, not the dementia or…
finding our way wanting the same our differences visible or invisible not to be seen as disabilities but as Abilities we are still the same even though we may look different or act differently to you our hearts are in tact we still have desires and a need to be independent to learn from each…
Theme for International Day of Persons with disAbilities 2015 Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities Today it is the International Day of Persons with disAbilities, and one of the sub themes this year is people with invisible disAbilities, which therefore includes people with dementia. Being recognised last week, in the National disAbility…
This coming Thursday, December 3, 2015 it is the International Day of People with Disabilities, and so this week I am focusing on the United Nations Convention of the Rights of persons with DisAbilities (UN CRPD). This is an infographic of the Convention.
On Thursday December 3rd later this week, we are celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and to have won a National disAbility Award last week is more than timely for people with dementia. This particular award means so much more than recognising what I do, and that is also not the reason I work so…
