Having had 19 years of first-hand experience with dementia, I always find it very interesting listening to other people talking about it. By far the most powerful accounts are, for me, those that come from people who are living with dementia,…
Tag: carers
Keeping it relevant
Having enjoyed our summer, or perhaps endured it as many UK readers may prefer to recall our latest disappointing attempt at warm, sunny weather, autumn is now well and truly upon us, and with it many sights and sensations that pose…
Having THAT conversation
At every stage of life we face difficult conversations, none more so than those prompted by concerns we have about changes in the health and wellbeing of our loved ones. With the launch of the UK Government’s initiative to increase…
You are not alone
Isolation amongst those caring for or grieving for a loved one is one of the saddest aspects of being a carer. Feeling that you are without support, help and guidance, trapped within an environment that has shrunk down to just…
Be inspired, be very inspired
There is something that touches your soul when you hear the individual stories of how people care for those they love the most. Families often make such huge sacrifices in these circumstances, completely altering the plans and lives they once…
The carer’s job description
If you had to be isolated, unsupported and fight the system, would you apply to be an unpaid carer? This is not a position that fills you with hope for the future, gives you room for personal development, or brings…
How do you make good dementia policy?
Having spent 19-years graduating in dementia, I can honestly say that I think I know dementia pretty well. Its highs and lows, the surprises and quirks, the sadness and pain, and the endless battles you fight for the care your…
How do you do it?
The question I have probably been asked more than any other over the last few years is how do you cope with having a loved one with dementia? There is no easy or short answer to that, but overwhelming I…
Don’t wait for a ‘crisis point’
I heard a pretty shocking statistic at yesterday’s Alzheimer’s Society conference. Two thirds of people living with dementia NEVER get an official diagnosis; if that same statistic applied to the diagnosis of cancer, and as a result two thirds of…
Continuity is key
Last week a story hit the headlines about how Jeanette Maitland’s husband Ken, who was living with dementia, had been given 106 different carers during the last year of his life. Mr Maitland, from Aberdeen, had been allocated two carers…
