The last few days have been racked with a sadness after the loss of a friend with younger onset dementia; for many of us there has been a revisiting of our own mortality, and the issues many people with dementia and our loved ones discuss, especially in the early days following a diagnosis. The fear engendered by the…
According to Wikipedia, fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognise danger leading to an urge to confront it or flee from it (also…
Jack Nicholson famously once said in a movie, “You can’t handle the truth”. For many, this is the reality, and being honest and direct is my biggest ‘weakness’ or ‘fault’. I’d have to say, I don’t actually care any more as I have never intended to be rude with my honesty, but many find it…
Some time ago I attended one of the consumer forums where prior to the event it was not made clear the groups would be split into two; that is the people with dementia (PWD), and their carers/supporters of the people with dementia were separated. About 10 minutes before the end of the session, the reason why became crystal clear. One of the family members…
Sometimes we are wrong Sometimes we don’t have all the facts Sometimes we see things differently to others Sometimes our personal life experiences can colour our judgement Sometimes we say things meant in a general way and others take it personally Sometimes we are right But the reality is It is only one persons opinion Right for them Sometimes set…
I’ve been listening to an author talk about a book she has recently published on her mother’s dementia based mainly on many recorded conversations they had about her experience of living with dementia, and she said at one point that she is “Sitting on a gold mine”. I am sure the book is terrific, and listening to the reviews…
It seems the ‘experts’, namely those people who work in a field, but may not have any personal experience in that field, are always considered and called the experts, and the patients or consumers who are living with the experience or disease are often treated like morons or idiots, as if they have no expert insight…
Many days I am worried And am often very cynical Of ever seeing change It is lonely and exhausting And I feel like nothing will change In my life time And then something unexpected happens That re-inspires me Again motivates me to keep going The time is now it seems As after The two days in Geneva At the…
As I was representing Dementia Alliance International as co-chair at the first WHO Ministerial Conference on dementia this week, I feel it fair to reblog theirs today. As I have jet lag, it is also very helpful being able to be a bit lazier than usual! Before I departed for the event, I was feeling…
Dementia Alliance International (DAI) was set up by people with dementia to ensure we have an authentic voice, and so that we are not taken over by either organisations or family carers. It is important we have our own voice, just as people with disabilities, the gay community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders fought for…
Dementia is indeed a public health priority, and I am proud to have been invited to attend the first WHO Ministerial Conference in Geneva next week on 16 and 17 March 2015. It is an honour to have been invited to present in a key note session on the morning of Day 2 on the issues important…
A friend dropped in today to return a plate I had taken with a birthday cake on it to her husband before Christmas last year… and as she was departing she realised she had forgotten the plate, as had I until she mentioned it! She says she has ‘fuzzy hormonal brain’, but we both laughed…
Living as a cat in my house equates to a whole lot of love, and even more spoiling, and now I have a four pawed ‘grand-puppy’, there’s a lot of love happening there too. The owner of this lovely rescue dog is almost bemused when she gets excited to see me; who wouldn’t with all the…
An advocate is a person who represents and works with a person or group of people who may need support and encouragement to exercise their rights, in order to ensure that their rights are upheld. The Health Consumers Alliance SA (HCA) Fact Sheet #2 says: Advocacy is a process to bring about change in the policies,…
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