I’m not quite sure when it happened, but it seems that wrapping human beings up in cotton wool has become a habit that many individuals and organisations are struggling to get out of. Prime candidates for this approach are anyone who…
Tag: support
Ten lost years
It seems like a very long time ago that my dad first started showing signs of dementia. In essence it’s about twenty years, but since so much has happened subsequently it feels like a lifetime separates those experiences. With the huge level…
Paid to care
When you go into any care setting, either as someone needing care or their family, you naturally expect that everyone who is looking after you or your loved one has been given all the skills that they need to provide…
A sense of achievement
One of the most pervasive beliefs about dementia is that people living with it cannot achieve anything. For many the onset of living with dementia can signal the end of aspects of their life that represent the very foundations of…
The voices of experience
I recently attended a high-profile meeting in London to discuss the ‘Timely Diagnosis of Dementia’. The attendees came from a wide variety of health and social care backgrounds, from those currently practicing medicine in various different settings, to academics and…
Power to the people
If you are a family carer you will know only too well the emotional, physical and mental toll that caring can take on even the fittest, healthiest and most positive people. The very nature of caring means it is relentless,…
Reflections on a life lived and a man loved
It seems hard to believe that April 2013 marks two very sad milestones for me and my family. This month will see us celebrating my dad’s birthday for the first time without him here. Less than two weeks later, it…
Home alone
Imagine that every morning when you wake up, you are unable to get out of bed without the help of a carer. You might wake up quite early, needing the toilet or wanting a hot drink, but you live alone…
Part 1) When a label isn’t enough
***This is a two part blog post*** Early diagnosis of dementia is becoming a hot topic in the UK, with a multitude of different approaches including a campaign to increase the numbers of people seeking help, and proposals to screen…
Part 2) When a label isn’t enough
***This is a two part blog post*** Please read: Part 1) When a label isn’t enough Regardless of how much the government needs clear statistics of exactly how many people have dementia in the UK, presumably so that they can…