September is Dementia Awareness Month
In Australia, around 425,420 people live with dementia, and an estimated 299,850 people are involved in caring for them. Yet there is a general community fear and misunderstanding of what dementia is.
Few people realise that there are more than 100 types of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease the most common form. Everyone’s experience is a unique, personal journey.
The prevalence of dementia is growing in proportion with the ageing of the population. It is now the second leading cause of death in Australia.
As someone who has experienced first-hand the loss of family members to dementia, I have a sense of the significance of a later life journey that includes dementia.
I always remember the person who lived and breathed and gave so much to our community, friends and family. Their contributions and valued relationships continued, even though there was gradual loss of independence and links with others. I remember the spiritual connection with the person, sustained until their final life stages.
It is important to have such perspectives, albeit there are difficult times where the support of others, which may include formal support, is very much appreciated in balancing all that is encountered.
Notwithstanding the significant challenges that individuals experience, there are still many opportunities for engagement with the community. Movements such as the World Health Organisation ‘Age Friendly City and Community’ and ‘Dementia Friendly Community’ are being adopted by some local councils, in an effort to understand and better support people living with dementia. Designing buildings and educating staff in how to communicate best with people with memory loss or confusion makes ours a more compassionate society.
All of us have a unique life journey, and none of us can be sure about how our lives will end. For some, it happens with little warning, at an unexpected age. For others, it is the end of life’s long journey. For all, the journey has the element of certainty, yet mystery.
Whether we experience dementia or not, all lives are precious. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, sensitivity, care, expertise, comfort, managing pain where needed, and dignity in death. Cognitive impairment requires additional sensitivity and expertise to bring insight to that person’s needs in regards to the physical, emotional and spiritual.
In contemplating Dementia Awareness Month this September, consider the way you respond to people living with dementia, and how you will respond if your life’s journey takes you down that path.
There is a wealth of support available from Dementia SA: www.dementia.org.au
Opinion piece by Richard Hearn, former CEO Resthaven Incorporated