Remember to be patient

Kyabram’s Mick Simpson is backing Dementia Action Week’s call for more open conversations about the condition.

Mr Simpson, who has been diagnosed with the illness, said the latest research released by Dementia Australia found seven in 10 Australians believed dementia was not discussed openly enough.

But said as frightening as the diagnosis can be, there are still too many misconceptions about what it means to patient as well as their families.

He said one of the biggest of those is the belief a diagnosis meant a person had to stop doing the things they enjoyed.

“Why does a person with dementia have to stop?” Mr Simpson said.

“We might not be able to work as quickly as what we did, but we can still do what we want to do,” he said.

“It’s just that sometimes we might need a hand.”

Mr Simpson also said people living with dementia should not feel they needed to apologise for symptoms which were beyond their control.

“We shouldn’t have to go down the street saying, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t remember,’” he said.

“People need to learn they might just have to be patient.”

While national progress takes time, Mr Simpson said he had noticed positive shifts across regional healthcare and local support networks when it comes to talking about the condition.

“Once upon a time no-one ever mentioned it,” he said.

“Now the health system is speaking more freely about it, the carers are speaking more freely, there’s more interaction and more training.”

And while Dementia Action Week is an opportunity to start conversations, Mr Simpson believes they should continue throughout the year.

“It’s not just the week, it’s the year,” he said.

Dementia Australia chief executive Professor Tanya Buchanan said the research also found eight in 10 respondents who had a personal connection to dementia said they or someone they knew had experienced stigma, exclusion, disrespect or unequal treatment, including assumptions being made about what someone could or could not do, or being left out of social activities.

Ms Buchanan emphasised the importance of communication.

“Through conversations, such as those we’re asking you to have this Dementia Action Week, we can work to dismantle this stigma and instead create a more welcoming and inclusive dementia-friendly Australia,” Ms Buchanan said.