I have four good friends who will not be with me this time next year. I have friends, all with dementia, discussing medication with doctors.
But, most of all, I think about how long do we have on this earth as normal people?
Governments do give, but most is for carers and aged care.
I don’t have a problem with this — I am 120 per cent behind the carers — but I do have a problem with governments that don’t recognise the person behind the dementia diagnosis.
If and when they release money, they automatically put it into a carer program.
Then there is the hassle of transferring that money to the appropriate account, and then making the paperwork match.
Another confusion is the lack of professionals and researchers.
There is the referral when you are already so confused, and then you and family have between three and five months to wait; it is all well and truly up that well known creek.
Does the person with dementia just have to hope they will be put in a good nursing home, or it too much for governments to have some caring thoughts and the guts to open their minds in this area.
Just because we have dementia doesn’t mean we don’t think — we have worries, we have our own thoughts, and we still love our loved ones.
So instead of guessing what tablet you will give us this month and specifying money mostly on administration — governments, help us to help others.
Universities, in conjunction with Dementia Australia, work to help — but so much more pressure is needed to help.
I am sick and tired of people when it gets to the ‘too hard’ basket, going silent or just putting dementia on the back burner.
To you — the government, whether state or federal — we have lives before nursing homes, too.
Stop throwing money out just to shut people up and start recognising that dementia is and will be from now on, a lifelong disease — not just an old person’s disease.
We have a right to live naturally, too, and we hurt just as much as people with any other disease.
No matter what government party you are from — have the guts to come out and help. Come to us and we’ll tell you what we need until a cure comes.
— Mick Simpson
For local help in Kyabram, please ring Kyabram Community and Learning Centre on 5852 0000 or the 24-hour Australia-wide Dementia Australia Hotline on 1800 11 500.
