Tag Archives: Australia

ReThink Respite

Posted on by under Care, Health, Inspiration, Research

Dispelling respite myths for people with dementia and their carers

ReThink Respite is a new online resource aiming to support people with dementia and their carers and help them to better understand the benefits of respite services.

“There is plenty of evidence to show that respite can sustain carers to continue in their caring role and keep the person with dementia at home for longer, and yet the proportion of carers that use available respite and other support programs is low,” according to project leader, Dr Lyn Phillipson.

“The ReThink Respite resource will help people better understand respite services by dispelling myths and educating carers of the benefits of respite services. Ultimately, we want to increase uptake and inform and shape service delivery of respite in the community,” she adds.

Read more at:  https://news.agedcareguide.com.au/2016/04/05/dispelling-respite-myths-for-people-with-dementia-and-their-carers/

Visit the ReThink Respite webpage at rethinkrespite.com

Action to improve dementia care

Posted on by under Health, Inspiration

Take action to improve dementia care

More than 70 people living with dementia and their carers have outlined priorities to improve dementia care in Australia.

“Especially with a diagnosis of dementia, I have an important contribution to make to the discussion around the funding for dementia and the way in which we are supported by the Government and the Community. It’s about improving the future situation for people who have been diagnosed with dementia.”

Read more at:  https://news.agedcareguide.com.au/2016/03/29/take-action-to-improve-dementia-care/

Read the full communique here. For more information about dementia call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 or visit fightdementia.org.au

Community leaders and celebrities join together for dementia

Posted on by under Inspiration

This post come to use from Personal Health Records, another WordPress blog. It’s about how local and national leaders are joining together with celebrities to improve the lives and care of people with dementia and their families in Australia.

Celebrities and community leaders are joining together in the fight against dementia

Hawthorn Football Club’s Sam Mitchell; acclaimed singer, songwriter Mark Seymour; legendary actors Terence Donovan and Anne Phelan; radio presenter and media personality Denis Walter; former leader of the Australian Democrats,Lyn Allison, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic Chief Medical Advisor, Associate Professor Michael Woodward; business leader and Alzheimer’s Australia Vic Chair, Graeme Samuel AC have together committed to raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia as Alzheimer’s Australia Vic’s inaugural Ambassadors.

The CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia Vic, Maree McCabe, said the Ambassador program is an important step forward in raising much-needed awareness of dementia and its impact on the more than 330,000 Australians currently living with illness.

“We are honoured that these great Australians are willing to share their personal experience and knowledge about dementia to support the role of Alzheimer’s Australia Vic as the peak body in Victoria advocating for people living with dementia their families and carers,” Ms McCabe said.

“We thank them all for their commitment to help raise awareness and understanding of dementia in the community and we look forward to working with them to do just that.”

Read the rest of this article on Personal Health Records’ website here.

‘Stigma’ associated with dementia number one concern for people living with the disease

Posted on by under Education

This is an article that comes from ABC in Australia and touches on a very important topic – STIGMA and dementia. One of the goals of my work is to promote education on dementia and to break down stigma surrounding dementia. For example,

  • dementia is not an old person’s disease – it is not a part of normal aging, it is a disease of the brain and can affect anyone at any age, young people also get dementia
  • people with dementia are not immediately incompetent or incapacitated after diagnosis, most dementias develop slowly over years and people in the early stages of dementia can still live independently, contribute to their families and communities, and even maintain employment

To read more about stigma and dementia, please see my previous posts on Stop using stigma to raise money, Stop stigma – think before you speak, Breaking stigma – stop saying they are “suffering,” and Breaking down stigma – research on societal attitudes towards dementia. Continue reading →

The Role for Dementia Consultant Teams

Posted on by under Care, Inspiration

I came across this article on the Changing Aging website. It’s a great resource on changing perceptions and practices surrounding aging. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed!

The Role for Dementia Consultant Teams

Published by on July 20, 2015

In my last post I criticized a reporter for the Australian Financial Review for his characterization of people living with dementia, and of our aging population in general. My comments were aimed purely at his offensive stereotypes, and did not address deeper issues around the subject matter. Now that the furor over that article has subsided somewhat, it’s time to tackle that deeper concern.
Continue reading →