Discussing Dementia

 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near … Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:6, 7b-9).

~

On 4^th August (2018) I had the privilege of leading “Discussing Dementia 2: On Caring” at Forster Uniting Church. 59 attended and joined me on the journey. I commend their courage, and hope that the work being done to make Forster a “dementia-friendly community” will soon be rich fruit.

While I, and all of the participants, have different thoughts about what it is like to care for someone living with dementia, only God knows the exact picture. We may have different ways of understanding dementia and responding to it, but only God knows the best way – and so we turn to the Lord for help and mercy. We can also turn to the Lord to help us forgive: forgive those for whom we care, forgive friends and family who may not be as helpful as they could be, and forgive ourselves when patience runs thin or runs out. God’s ways and thoughts are thankfully higher than ours.

Since leading “Discussing Dementia 2: On Caring” in Tamworth earlier this year, I have made a few changes. One of these is to include a video clip entitled “A Carer’s Perspective”. This comes from the University of Tasmania MOOC “Understanding Dementia”. This video is also the basis for a Case Study in the unit CAD104, one of the units in the Bachelor of Dementia Care degree.

In the video clip a carer named Irene Jacobs is interviewed by her friend Dr. Carolyn King. It is an honest interview, one that will hopefully challenge your thoughts, and help you to change your ways. You can watch the video here:

I give thanks that Irene had the courage to speak to Carolyn, and that this clip has been freely shared through the “Understanding Dementia” MOOC. I don’t know where her husband David is in his dementia journey, but please remember Irene and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

With blessings,

 

Ears that hear and eyes that see – the Lord has made them both (Proverbs 20:12).

~

It is impossible to fully understand what it is like to be living with dementia. We can learn to see more clearly with our eyes, and hear more clearly with our ears, but we can’t enter another person’s brain, body and spirit.

In blog post number 27 I mentioned the wonderful Dementia Australia training course named EDIE – Educational Dementia Immersive Experience. Having done it last year, I can highly recommend it to you.

This afternoon I came across an English TV clip that shows the work of Dementia Australia in their Virtual Reality and Computer games. The clip definitely shows how both of these technologies bring a positive change to people’s lives. I was delighted to see that it includes the EDIE experience.

So, here’s a teaser for EDIE:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rgx_yqRYsIU

It is my hope and prayer that such technology may help many more people, whether or not they live with dementia, to see and to hear – remembering that the Lord who made our eyes and ears also sees and hears with us.

With blessings,

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? … Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:12-14, 17).

~

In blog post number 26 I spoke about the Understanding Dementia MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) being run by the University of Tasmania. Over 20,000 have people enrolled in the July 2018 MOOC!

I have just come across an ABC Radio interview which talks about the MOOC. It reminded me of the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Romans. He gives us a wonderful promise that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”, and then asks a very important question: “How can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

The MOOC is truly wonderful – I promise that! But people won’t know about it unless people like me, and you, tell others (preach) about it. That’s one reason I began this blog. It’s also the reason why I am doing the Bachelor of Dementia Care.

So, let me share this ABC Radio interview with you. It will help to explain what the MOOC all about. It goes for about eight and a half minutes, and will hopefully whet your appetite!

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/hobart/programs/statewideweekends/mm-for-web/9993816

St. Paul boldly states that the Lord richly blesses all who call on him. I hope that you will be richly blessed as you listen to this interview, and when you eventually do the MOOC.

With blessings,

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

~

I am asked the same question almost every time I lead Discussing Dementia 1 or 2. The question is all about driving. To misquote Shakespeare: “to drive or not to drive, that is the question”.

My dear mother lived with both vascular and Lewy Body dementia. As she aged, and as the symptoms of her dementia increased, it soon became apparent that her driving was becoming erratic. She would brake late and hence brake heavily. She never got lost, though she did get confused about where she was going, and how to get back home. She always hating reversing the car, and her lack of confidence gradually increased. We became more and more concerned about her driving, but it was a sign of her independence and freedom, and she wasn’t willingly going to surrender it. We were intending to speak to her GP about it, but thankfully she had a small bingle while reversing the car in a car park. There was little damage to either vehicle, but Mum was shaken. She decided that it was time to stop driving, and so with great relief she gave up her licence.

The writer of Ecclesiastes puts it well: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”. There is a time when people should have a licence to drive a car, and a time when they shouldn’t. The old adage contains more than an element of truth: “I have been driving for 60 years and I’ve never had an accident!” That may be true, but I could well ask: “Yes, but how many have you caused?”

I commute five days a week on the M1 motorway from the Central Coast to Sydney, which is 3 lanes wide. Besides an actual accident and the resulting traffic jam (sometimes up to 8 km long), the worst thing I encounter is a driver in the middle lane doing well below 110. Some of them are quite oblivious to the drivers who, in frustration, are overtaking them on both the left and the right. The sign “Keep left unless overtaking” doesn’t seem to apply, probably because they ARE driving on the left of the right-hand lane! I have lost count of the number of near-misses caused by this poor driving. Surely there is a time when people’s driving needs to be tested once again, and it’s not when they’re in their 80s.

So what’s wrong with people living with dementia still driving? In the early phases it’s usually alright. However, as my Mum’s story shows, there are two important factors to consider. The first is that people may become lost. If they’re on foot it’s easier to find them because they usually can’t walk too far. If they’re in the car it’s a different matter altogether. The more confused they become, the more lost they feel, the more likely it is that they will make a bad decision. When I am not sure where I’m going I set my navigator, and it politely tells me where to go. If I’m in the wrong lane I may quickly change lanes, or else quickly turn off the road – hopefully having checked for other traffic and using my indicators. The confusion or anxiety of feeling lost doesn’t make for good decision-making.

The other vital factor is that as we age our brains do not work as quickly. Our reaction times slow down. Dementia can slow down our reaction times considerably, as a damaged brain needs to compensate. So, when I see that the car in front of me suddenly brakes, I need to suddenly brake also. If my brain takes longer to notice the other car’s brake light, and my brain takes longer to instruct my leg and foot to brake, the result can be disastrous. If the road is wet and slippery, and you haven’t left enough room to brake, applying the brake may not be able to prevent a bingle. Hopefully you’ll collide with less speed and hence cause less damage.

So, the problem with driving is not just that people living with dementia get lost. It’s the fact that eventually their reaction time may become too slow in order to drive safely. The car is a wonderful piece of machinery, but like many inventions it is only as good as its operator.

So, what do you do if you’re concerned about someone’s driving? Speak to them first. Try, try, and try again. They may accept the need to stop driving – just like my Mum. If they don’t, and their driving has become unsafe, it’s time to call in the GP. Let the GP be the one to remove their licence. You can then say that it was the GP who did it, not me! You also need to be practical. Hide the car keys! If the car is no longer needed, then sell it. It’s impossible to drive a car which isn’t there. (As an aside, it is usually cheaper to catch taxis than to own and maintain a car. That wouldn’t work for my commute on the M1, but for short trips to the shops it’s ideal. Let someone else drive).

Because driving is such a big issue, the NRMA has produced both a booklet and brochure. I have included them below. They are well worth reading:

NSW-Staying-on-the-move-with-dementia-brochure

NSW-Staying-on-the-move-with-dementia-booklet

My friends, there is a time for everything. There may well be a time when we need to stop driving. It’s better if, like my Mum, we decide that for ourselves. As we age, and as illness takes its inevitable toll, we need to be realistic. As the Serenity prayer puts it so well, we need to “accept the things we cannot change”.

With blessings,

 

 

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds … And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” … God saw all that he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:24-31a excerpts).

~

I regularly lead worship with people living with dementia, and find that I use Genesis 1 far more than other Bible passages. Why? Because it talks about God, Creation, Humankind, and our job to care for Creation. I might talk about animals or birds or mountains or rivers, regularly repeating the line: “God saw that it was good”. I then tell my saints that God created us –men and women – male and female. We are made by God and loved by God. God sees us and He doesn’t just say we are “good” – but “very good”! I say “God looks at you, and me, and says that we are very good, very good”! My spirit is filled with joy when some of them smile, or say “Oh”, or on one occasion, clap their hands. I have spoken the truth, and the truth – that they are very good – sets them free.

We will then sing that wonderful hymn “All things bright and beautiful”: All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.

In April my wife and I were thrilled to pick up our new cocker spaniel puppy Jarah. Jarah is Hebrew for “honey” and “God is sweetness”. She is honey-coloured after all, and is very sweet. When she was fully vaccinated I took her into Northaven at Turramurra, the Hostel and Nursing Home where I am privileged to serve as Chaplain. I thought that some “puppy therapy” might be good for the residents and staff, and I wasn’t wrong! Jarah is timid by nature, and so when she sees people she doesn’t know is very placid. Her small size and cute face means that people aren’t afraid of her either. She really is a sweetie.

I led Jarah around the building, allowing people to pat her or hold her. Because many residents are in waterchairs or beds, I asked them if they would like to pat Jarah, and if they agreed, I’d lift her up. Sometimes I held her. Sometimes I would put her on their beds or put her in their arms, and they could give her a cuddle. Because I have trained Jarah not to lick she didn’t try and lick their hands or faces. (The exception was the resident whose hands were covered in vegemite. That was too much of a temptation for a four month old puppy).

There are lots of stories I could have put on paper, but I chose two: Jim and Judy. Both of these Nursing Home residents are in the final stage of dementia: “’Dignity with comfort”. I have known both of them for 4-5 years so they trust me and like me. Here’s their stories.

Jim is in a waterchair in the Nursing Home. He has lost the ability to speak and sleeps most of the time. I asked Jim if he would like to meet my cocker spaniel puppy Jarah and he nodded. I lifted her up and placed her front paws on Jim’s waterchair, holding her body securely to my chest. Jim looked at Jarah for a long while. Jarah stood still, looking into his eyes. Jim smiled, and ever so slowly moved his hand forward and touched Jarah. Her tail began to wag in appreciation, to Jim’s obvious delight. Jim continued to pat Jarah on her head, clearly enjoying this time with her. After a few minutes he withdrew his hand, smiled, sighed, and drifted contentedly off to sleep. Jim didn’t speak a word, but this picture painted far more than a thousand words.

Judy rarely speaks, and can only walk with the assistance of two staff members. She often smiles, and is normally content just to sit in a comfortable chair and cuddle her toy bear. When I walked Jarah up to Judy she came alive. She smiled, clapped her hands, laughed and squealed, and reached down to give Jarah a pat. Judy was overjoyed. She said “What a glorious puppy” followed by “Lovely dog”, repeating variants of these sentences over the next few minutes. Judy took both hands off her toy and stroked Jarah, much to Jarah’s delight. Even as I led Jarah to another resident Judy was watching her and smiling. Her bear was forgotten for at least 15 minutes afterwards, as Judy revelled in her honey-coloured joy.

There were lots of people around who saw what was going on. They knew that it was good. But God was there too. God saw, and God said, that this was very good.

With blessings,

 

 

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all humankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it …. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-4, 14).

~

I don’t about you, but I find that it is very easy to sentimentalise Christmas. A baby boy is born to a devout young couple in Bethlehem, is wrapped in cloth and laid in a feeding trough. The Christmas cards make it seem so nice. Carols like “Away in a manger” boldly declare “The little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes”. That doesn’t sound like any baby that I know.

The reality is hardly nice. This young couple are forced by an Emperor’s decree to leave their home and journey to Bethlehem, despite the fact that Mary is full-term. Her birth is no different to any other woman’s. We don’t know if Joseph is the only midwife, and there certainly isn’t any humidicrib. It’s hardly sentimental.

In one sense the baby boy is no different to any other baby boy, yet in another sense he is infinitely different. For this baby was the eternal Word, God Himself, the Creator of all things. He “became flesh”, born as a baby, and made his “dwelling” – his home – among humankind. A friend of mine put it this way: “God took kneecaps and eyebrows”.

I don’t understand how Jesus could be both God and man. I simply accept the mystery of it. But I do understand that it says something profound about God. God knows what it’s like to be human because God became human. Jesus knew hunger and thirst, work and rest, joy and sadness.  He wowed them at a wedding, and shed tears at Lazarus’ tomb. Jesus was like us, in every way! He understands. Always.

Jesus, because He’s God, understands what it is like to live with dementia. He doesn’t sentimentalise it, and knows that it isn’t nice. While Jesus does not prevent us from getting dementia, He does promise to be with us always: “I will never leave you nor forsake you”. Because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, dementia and death is not the end. Jesus promises eternal life, with a new body and brain, to all who will follow Him. That’s the Gospel – the Good News.

Jesus understands what it is like to live with dementia, but we don’t. We can observe those who are living with dementia, but we can’t actually enter into their mind and body and experience it for ourselves.

Thanks to Dementia Australia we can, however, gain a glimpse of what it is like to live with dementia. Welcome to EDIE: Educational Dementia Immersive Experience.

EDIE is an “Immersive Experience” because we immerse ourselves into Edie’s life. Edie is living with dementia. We immerse oursevles by wearing special goggles (Virtual reality goggles) and headphones, so that we “see” what Edie is experiencing and “hear” what he is hearing. We also meet Edie’s wife.

Having been to an EDIE session I can highly recommend it. It is certainly educational, in both an intellectual and emotional manner. The immersion is challenging and motivational. It’s also fun – and that helps in the learning.

If you’d like to know more then make contact using the details below:

Once you’ve done EDIE you will certainly never sentimentalise it. It isn’t nice. But you’ll understand that people living with dementia need not be misunderstood. They have those who are willing to learn about dementia, whether through EDIE or the University of Tasmania MOOCs, or in other ways. But most importantly, they have a God who knows what it’s like to be human: a God who, in Jesus, took kneecaps and eyebrows.

With blessings,

 

 

Praise the Lord … He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble … (Psalm 147:1-6a).

~

The Psalmist begins by inviting us to “Praise the Lord”, and then tells us exactly who the Lord is: healer, creator, and sustainer. God is not too great or mighty to care for those who are broken-hearted and wounded. That includes those who are living with dementia. While there is no limit to God’s understanding, our understanding is sadly limited. However, with God’s help and our effort, any of us can grow in our understanding of dementia.

In 2014 I had the privilege of completing the “Understanding Dementia” MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) through the University of Tasmania. As its name suggests, this is an online course which helps people to understand dementia. I was able to work at my own pace without having to do any exams. The lectures were given by qualified academics who had chosen excellent videos and clips. The whole course was free of charge, and I even received a certificate at the end.

In 2016 I completed the next in the series: “Preventing Dementia”. This was equally informative and sound.

My own “Discussing Dementia” presentations not only refer to these two MOOCs, but present some of their material. After all, why reinvent the wheel?

Registrations for the next “Understanding Dementia” MOOC end on 31^st July. The course begins anytime from 10^th July, so if you register after the 10^th you will be able to start straightaway. It is wonderful to see that 8,000 people had already registered by 5^th July.

You may be interested in the poster:

UOTWI171211-A3-Poster_vFA

The following link will take you to the UTAS site:

https://mooc.utas.edu.au/landing/pr8share

Do yourself and do others a favour. Learn more about dementia, and take your part in working with God to heal some of the broken-hearted and to bind up their wounds.

With blessings,

 

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! … When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is humankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour (Psalm 8:1-5).

~

God, through the Psalmist, emphatically reminds us who we are. We are not nobodies, but somebodies! We are the work of God’s hands. God is mindful of us: we occupy His mind. God cares for us. God shares His crown with us – giving us glory and honour that we don’t deserve nor can ever earn. We are Somebodies.

A person may be living with dementia, but that does not change the fact that they are a person first and foremost. They have personhood. That is God-given. They are a Somebody – and other Somebodies (like us) should treat them as such.

Hammond Care held its International Dementia Conference in Sydney in early July. One of the speakers was Professor John Swinton from Aberdeen University. We have already met him in blog posts 15 and 17 (Discussing Dementia 2: On Caring) and in blog post 24 (Faith for Life). The title of John’s talk was “Taking time for those things that the world considers trivial: Choosing to be with and for people living with dementia”.

John shared about the tyranny of the clock, how ‘busyness kills compassion’, and that ‘loves takes a certain kind of time’. We all need to slow down and take time for the things that the world considers trivial – including those living with dementia. We all need to develop “a spirituality of timefullness’, realising that “dementia is a place of embodiment and slowness”. I’ll say some more about this in a later blog post.

While John’s talk wasn’t recorded, he was interviewed about his talk. The title of this video is “The significance of time for understanding people with dementia”. You can watch it here:

In his talk John quoted the words of Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth century Dominican friar and theologian. John first told us Aquinas’ words, then invited us to turn to our neighbours and say it to them. The result was amazing. A conference room full of 1,000 people came alive. So what were Aquinas’ life-giving words?

“It’s good that you are here. I’m glad that you exist!”

I don’t think I have ever heard a more profound affirmation from one Somebody to another Somebody. We exist because God created us, however well or unwell we may be.

I invite you to share those words with others you meet. I also invite you to share them with people living with dementia, who desperately need to be reminded how valuable they are. They are Somebodies like us!

So, dear reader, it is good that you are here (though I wish we were meeting face-to-face). And I’m glad that you exist.

With blessings,

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

~

This one verse from the Gospel of St. John is arguably the best known verse in the whole Bible. It reminds us that God is a God of love, and that His Son Jesus willing came down to earth for us: living, dying and rising again. The promise is that anyone who believes in Jesus – anyone who has faith – will have life now and life everlasting. That is the Gospel – the Good News – in a nutshell.

Yet this is only one verse in one chapter in one book of the 66 books of the Bible. There are lots of other fabulous verses, but they can be hard to find in such a big book. Many older folk long to read the Bible, but the print is often too small. If the print is made bigger then the paper needs to be made thinner, or else the Bible becomes thicker and heavier. Thin paper tears, and heavy books are hard to hold.

Hammond Care, in conjunction with the Bible Society and Professor John Swinton (Aberdeen University), have produced a series of resources entitled “Faith for life: Biblical resources for people with dementia”. Instead of heavy books and thin paper, they are light-weight and made of long-lasting polymer – just like Australian banknotes!

In the booklet “Engaging with Faith for life” John Swinton writes: “The Faith for life materials open up the healing beauty of the Bible in ways that enable people with dementia and those offering care and support, to hold on to God even when the memory of God can seem elusive and difficult. This is an important resource for an important group of people”.  You can read the whole booklet here: Engaging with faith for life.

Page 10 of this booklet explains how the resources were developed. They were “thoroughly tried and tested” by targeted focus groups, people living with dementia and their families, and HammondCare residential care staff and pastoral care staff. The end product incorporates the principles of good dementia design: size, materials, colours, images, font, language and format.

The resources fall into three different categories: Books, Cards (double-sided, with a picture on one side and text on the other), and an A-frame (the picture on the side facing the person with dementia and text on the side facing the person using it). I have included some scans of the cover and content of each resource, noting that they are protected by copyright.

Books:

Jesus loves me: presents the love of Jesus simply and clearly.

Time with Jesus: provides colourful, interactive devotional moments celebrating the life and teaching of Jesus.

 

 

He’s got the whole world in His hands: contains devotions that relate to current events for those who enjoy following the news.

  

  

Cards:

God is so good: provide evocative photos matched with clear and familiar devotional moments celebrating the goodness of God.

  

Words of Hope: a series of 20 devotional cards matching a beautiful photo with a familiar Bible verse and hymn.

  

  

Textures of God’s love: encourages devotional engagement with God’s love expressed through the Bible and in beautiful photos, familiar textures or objects and prayer.

  

  

A-frame:

Yesterday, today, forever: a collection of devotions on Psalm 23, The Lord’s prayer, Lent and Advent.

On page 3 of the “Engaging with Faith for life” booklet we read: “Those who have an active Christian faith or background can continue to interact with the Bible in ways that enable them to grow in their relationship with God. Those who are new to the Christian faith may discover the richness of God’s word”.

It is the hope of those who produced “Faith for life”, and my hope, that every reader may come to know the love of God. Through faith in Jesus may they enjoy the wonderful gift of eternal life.

With blessings,

 

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me [St. Paul], or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).

~

Hands up if you meet someone and can’t get their name into your head.

Hands up if you often misplace your car keys.

Hands up if you leave a room intending to do something, only to forget what you were going to do.

Does that mean that you have dementia? Thankfully, no. The reality is that as we age we find it harder to bring things to mind. I have found the simplest thing to do is ask people for their name – and then use it during the subsequent conversation! (Another strategy is to focus on their voice and see if that will draw out the name. Sometimes I will run through the alphabet and see if their name pops into my mind. Sometimes I will turn it into a game: “What’s the first letter of your name?”. The person will often play along, and the mental game is remarkably effective in getting both their first name and surname – and sometimes other details about them as well).

If you misplace your car keys, simply put them in the same place each time. Create a new habit. It won’t take long, and it will save you a lot of frustration.

If you leave a room and forget the task you’re supposed to be doing, the simplest thing to do is backtrack. Go back towards the room, and usually the task will pop into your head. Try it – it works!

These three “hands up” scenarios are normal signs of ageing, not usually signs of dementia. I often quip that “If you can remember that you’ve forgotten, you don’t have dementia”. There’s a lot of truth in that statement. Hands up if you agree!

However, if you can no longer recognize people or remember their names, if you can’t remember what the car keys are for, and if you can’t follow through a task, then you should see your Doctor.

A Doctor I can recommend is Dr. Andrew Rochford, though I’ve never met him in person. Instead, I have watched him online, and he’s definitely worth watching! Why? Because he can help you to answer a vital question “Is it dementia?”

In my original post (25th June 2018) I went on to recommend a Dementia Australia website called “Is it dementia? A resource for recognising the signs of dementia”. I supplied a link, then spoke about what was available on the site. You can read the rest of my original post below.

Sadly the website was taken down at the end of June 2018 due to the cost of hosting it. This wonderful resource is no longer available online. However, there is a DVD which I will endeavour to purchase. I’m not sure how that will help you as you’re looking at this online, but stay tuned!

All that said, my original question is still worth asking: “Is it dementia?” It could simply be the decline of normal ageing. It could be delirium, caused by something like an infection, that comes on quickly and is able to be treated. It could be depression.

So what should you do? Consult your Doctor and get a diagnosis. But don’t go alone – take along someone on whom you can depend: someone you can trust, who will keep a level head, who will do the listening and write down what the Doctor says.

How can you remember all that? They all start with the letter “d”!

With joy and delight,

The original post from early June continued like this:

Dementia Australia has created an excellent website called “Is it dementia? A resource for recognising the signs of dementia”. The link is:

www.isitdementia.com.au

What impresses me about this site is that it looks at seven different “Industries”. You can see this on their home page:

The “Community” tab brings you to the “Introduction – Dementia in the Community” screen:

This enables you to watch four different videos: The Introduction, The Tricky Passenger, The Queue Jumper, and The Conclusion.

You can see Dr. Andrew Rochford in action in the Introduction and Conclusion. Each screen allows you to access Dementia Australia Fact (Help) Sheets, read a transcript of that video, and show the captions as you watch the video. Dementia Australia has thought of everything!

Why am I so keen on this site? Because it’s true to life! We know what it’s like when people jump the queue. Are they doing it deliberately, or not? That’s the key!

It’s true to life because dementia doesn’t exist in isolation. It affects people, and people exist in Community. They also go shopping (Retail), use Transport, call on  Emergency Services, and so on. It is up to us to make life easier for those living with dementia, wherever and whenever we may be. Sites like this, whether viewed alone or as part of a formal industry training program, are vital.

It’s true to life, because life is precious. On January 6^th 2017 Bernard Gore, an elderly man living with dementia, got lost at the Westfield Bondi shopping centre.

Bernard entered a stairwell and could not find his way out. Tragically he was found dead three weeks later, even though people searching for him had been close by. What made it all the more tragic was that a number of people in the shopping centre, including shopkeepers, saw how confused he was, and did little to help. You can read the story here:

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/bernard-gore-elderly-man-found-dead-in-shopping-centre-was-just-metres-from-wife/news-story/33ba9b72040a93ac1d0997ccdea9bd31

If people had viewed the “Retail” videos on this website perhaps Bernard would still be alive? That’s definitely true to life!

In our Bible reading St. Paul urges us to think about the right things – and then to put that into practice. Think about this: Is it dementia? And if so, put what you learn from this site into practice. What you watch is true – and it gives life.

With blessings,