Marie Alford

Easter tip for visiting people with dementia during holiday periods: this time can be a little more overwhelming with decorations, more noise and activity (and the occasional Easter bunny!). Remember, not all people celebrate Easter the same way. Easter can also trigger good and bad memories for people. Watch emotions and respond to the message being conveyed, even without words. People with dementia can easily let you know how they feel - our job is to decode and respond in a way that honors and validates their experience. @DemSupportAu is available 24/7 over the holiday period via our helpline, live chat and website dementia.com.au #dementiasupport #Holidays #wellbeing

Hoping @PMalinauskasMP and @PictonChris can do something so wonderful people needing cancer treatment like my friend Helen can get support where they need it … cancer is hard enough without this happening

It’s live @CommonAgeAssoc Dementia in the Commonwealth report #DementiaInTheCommonwealth My pledge is the focus on younger onset dementia and access for primary and secondary carers, and childhood dementia … more awareness and more support. For me it’s our diverse and vulnerable populations ~ LGBTI, First Nations, homelessness and more … I need to learn more do more. #IDC2024

Chilling out at #IDC2024

Is there a better way to kick off IDC2024 In The Arena hosted by @Dementia_Centre with an incredible acknowledgment of country by Diramu Aboriginal Dance and Didgeridoo We are grateful for the owners of this unceded land for their custodianship … always was always will be

It is so important to have proactive support in place and I know the teams at @DemSupportAu are well -placed to work alongside @theAFTDA and skilled neuropsychologists to ensure we can provide safe spaces to share, learn and improve care outcomes. Behaviour support starts with a conversation. If you're a carer of someone living with FTD, we're here to help. dementia.com.au/carer-conversa…

JUST ANNOUNCED: For the first time, Australian women suffering endometriosis and complex gynaecological conditions will have access to longer specialist consultations, covered under Medicare. Read more: health.gov.au/ministers/the-…

I have been so privileged to have been mentored by some incredible leaders over the years so I am excited to share with everyone that the @Dementia_Centre International Dementia Conference 2024 is offering bursaries to emerging and future leaders! Want to be part of the change? Want to join us in the arena for this amazing event with international and national thoughts leaders, lived experience, and stories from the field and so much more? Head to dementiaconference.com to learn more and I look forward to seeing you there! #IDC2024 #dementia #change #challenge #bethedifference youtube.com/watch?v=-69vDg…

The AFL cant both links arms to protest violence against women and lionise men in their own ranks who commit that violence. My column for the Age and SMH. theage.com.au/national/the-a…

@YODsupporter @veda_meneghetti Sending my deepest condolences to you x

Our beautiful @veda_meneghetti left us this evening, peacefully. She'll be heading off tomorrow to donate her brain to research. Her courage and refusal to compromise have been remarkable. Vale ma belle. You rock! #YoungOnsetDementia #DementiaRights #UNCDRP #FTD/#PPA

This is why I admire you @PMalinauskasMP - you are a leader of the people on the issues that matter. @DemSupportAu is the Australian Government funded service that supports everyone living with dementia, including children because dementia is a lifespan disease. We're here to help with a team on the ground in South Australia (and across Oz). You can find us 24/7 dementia.com.au

“I got told, don't Google it, because what you'll read is horrific. In 2019, my youngest was diagnosed with Childhood Dementia and I was told he wouldn’t see his fifth birthday. A few months later, my eldest two were also diagnosed with the same condition. I don’t think I’ve ever felt physical heartbreak like that before. They get sick quite a lot and it takes them quite a long time to rebound but their symptoms are nothing compared to what they have on the horizon. We spend a lot more time hugging and having fun making memories than we would if we didn't think that time was not on our side. I’ve spent a lot of time too scared to say it out loud because I wasn’t sure anyone would understand. So to have a playground full of people that have listened means everything to families like mine.” These are the words of Renee, who I was lucky enough to meet today.

What I love most about the work we do at @Dementia_Centre and @DemSupportAu is our ability to support those who others won't or can't. Quite often we get people coming to us who have "fallen through the cracks" of a system that is designed with guardrails - but those guardrails are actually constraining people from being supported. Like our work in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (#CTE). On-the-ground support provided by the team to help navigate and gain access to NDIS, doesn't seem like behaviour support but behaviours occur when you can't make your way through the system. Sleep issues, increased agitation and so much more. As a sector, we can and must do better. And those organisations that let people fall through the gaps (and then take credit for the work others do...) be better. #DoBetter #outsidethelines

This is what happens when you rediscover X - and realise that not many people actually know that as you age, your line of sight changes. Have to admit .... mine is substantially impacted (my optometrist tells me they are 'declining in line with my age' which I think is somewhat ageist and rude but true) and signs that are too high are useless to me - if I wasn't already vertically challenged this design feature certainly needs all our focus. Dementia design - signage that you want seen needs to be much lower than you'd think. On the other hand - signage you don't want seen (emergency exits) keep them high and out of sight. Think about enabling not disabling. Learn more..... head to dementiacentre.com and search design.... we're here to help create environments that support #dementia #design @Dementia_Centre

NEW: @DemSupportAu is delivering FREE workshops around Australia for health professionals & family carers & this year we're focused on more regional sites with events coming up in Geelong, Mackay and Port Lincoln. These events provide an opportunity to hear more about dementia & behaviour support, talk with medical and health specialists and find solutions that meet your needs. We're here to help 24/7 Want to learn more head to dementia.com.au/events #dementiasupport #behavioursupport #free

@DemSupportAu is delivering FREE workshops around Australia for health professionals & family carers & this year we're focused on more regional sites with events coming up in Geelong, Mackay and Port Lincoln. Want to learn more head to dementia.com.au/events #dementiasupport

@SeanPKelly3 @WendyMoyle2 @bjakd Sorry we aren't able to live stream this time Sean (that adds another huge cost onto this) but we will share what we can with you - hope you are well!

Agree. As an academic, I don't receive conference funding and need to prioritise. This price places this conference out of the reach of most people. Large conference venues charge astronomical fees for the privilege of sitting in an unfriendly venue @MarieDAlford @bjakd

@WendyMoyle2 @bjakd We do think with the calibre of international and national speakers we are still priced under many major conferences - it's always a challenge isn't it, having to prioritise. But hopefully, we can share learnings across other platforms for those who can't attend as well.

@bjakd Hi @bjakd if this is our conference we have fully subsidised people living with dementia and carer rates plus multiple other discounts available. Let me know if I can help at all 🤗 always happy to support accessibility

@JamesCVickers I feel like this needs ice, and soda water…. And a cute little cardboard box stand selling cups of lemonade

When life gives you lemons, the tree in the front lawn makes even more lemons.

It's that time of the year for the end of year (w)rap. So, stop, collaborate and listen. World peace. End of story. #coexist