I want to start this blog by sharing a graphic from a social media post from a wonderful friend and colleague, Nicola Payne: The graphic Nicky shared got me thinking about myself and my friends and family, but also about…
Tag: life story
What makes everything ok?
“It’ll all be ok.” A common phrase we all use when we want to reassure someone. However, for people with dementia it’s not always that helpful. Yes, it offers a low-level of verbal reassurance, but that may not be understood, and…
Person-centred care in Covid times
It’s hard to believe it’s almost two years now since the coronavirus pandemic began to impact upon all of our lives. One of the major problems many care providers have had since then is how to balance the need for…
Coronavirus and being isolated from a loved one
Last month I wrote about the coronavirus pandemic and answered two questions families supporting a loved one are grappling with: How do we hand-wash more and how do we self-isolate? For families who aren’t in the same household, however, they…
Resolve to ask people with dementia what THEY want
With over 200 blogs on D4Dementia, some of them now 7 years old, I’ve decided to spend my 2019 year of blogging by re-visiting some of the topics I’ve covered previously, throwing fresh light on why they remain relevant, and…
Myths and lessons
With over 200 blogs on D4Dementia, some of them now 7 years old, I’ve decided to spend my 2019 year of blogging by re-visiting some of the topics I’ve covered previously, throwing fresh light on why they remain relevant, and…
Experiences of loss
With over 200 blogs on D4Dementia now, some of them approaching 7 years old next month, I’ve decided to spend my 2019 year of blogging by re-visiting some of the topics I’ve covered previously, throwing fresh light on why they…
Supporting LGBT people with dementia
Almost a year ago (September 2017) saw the launch of the Dementia Action Alliance’s (DAA) ‘From Seldom Heard to Seen and Heard’ Campaign. The campaign focuses on people living with dementia and their families from six communities who are often marginalised…
Home sweet home
I seem to have found myself quoting a particular statistic so much in the last few weeks that it is now imprinted in my mind: Alzheimer’s Society: Fix Dementia Care Homecare report I include this stat in my dementia training…
Why culture matters in dementia care
Last month saw the launch of the Dementia Action Alliance’s (DAA) ‘From Seldom Heard to Seen and Heard’ Campaign. The campaign focuses on people living with dementia and their families from six communities who are often marginalised from services and…
The failure of post-diagnosis support
It’s not often that the content of TV programmes stays with me, but the recent BBC ‘Hospital’ series, following the fortunes of patients and staff at Imperial Trust’s hospitals in London, and ‘Granddad, dementia and me’ that I wrote about…
Five things I wish I’d known before my dad’s dementia
I’ve lost count of the number of times people have asked me for tips and advice when dementia has come into their life. With more people than ever before now living with dementia, or knowing someone with dementia, it seems…
Life story work – The gift that keeps on giving
One of the loveliest aspects of becoming a parent has been taking our daughter on various trips to meet her extended family. On one such trip we were given a gift, not of a teddy or a baby outfit, but…
