Dementia resources show how to live life of purpose
A number of new resources have been launched as part of Alzheimer’s Australia’s Dementia Awareness Month, highlighting the things people living with dementia, as well as communities, can do to become ‘dementia friendly’ and live a high quality of life with meaning, purpose and value.
Di Harris (front) remains part of her Tasmanian rowing group, Women on Water, despite her dementia diagnosis.
One of the resources is a 'First Steps' booklet, which outlines the stories of communities or organisations that are already working towards becoming dementia friendly (including people with dementia rather than excluding and isolating them).
A story in the booklet is of a lady named Di Harris, who has dementia, and a rowing group that she joined in Tasmania, and the things they have done to make sure she remains part of the group in spite of her diagnosis.
To conincide with the First Steps booklet, a new video resource has been launched by Alzheimer's Australia, where Graeme Atkins, who features in the video, speaks about how many people are unaware that the progression of dementia occurs over many years.
“Quite often there is still the opportunity for people with dementia to contribute to their communities and continue to be involved in activities they have always enjoyed,” Mr Atkins says.
He hopes the video inspires and encourages people and organisations in Australia to become ‘dementia friendly’ to allow people, like himself, to feel safe to go about their daily lives and be accepted for who they are and not defined by their diagnosis.
The resources target businesses and people in the community to help them understand what it means to be ‘dementia friendly’.
Graeme Samuel, Alzheimer’s Australia national president, says a new toolkit for businesses will also help to give practical tips and information on how to train staff to better understand dementia, language guidelines to communicate with people with dementia, and ways to involve people with dementia in volunteering and employment.
“The toolkit also provides community councils with information on how to include the needs of people with dementia in their town planning, as well as action plans to help community groups such as the local football club and RSLs to become ‘dementia friendly’,” Mr Samuel says.
Educating people on the symptoms of dementia may reduce the stigma surrounding dementia, and focus on ways to better engage and communicate with people with dementia in communities, he adds.
As part of the ‘dementia friendly’ initiative, Alzheimer's Australia has engaged Kate Swaffer, a person with dementia, as an official consultant to be the voice of its consumers.
This year’s Dementia Awareness Month theme is ‘Creating a Dementia Friendly Nation’. Dementia Awareness Month 2014 is supported by financial assistance from the federal government.
