Something to Remember

I am a huge fan of fun facts, like a group of porcupines is called a prickle – that one is thanks to Em Rusciano. But I recently found out a fact that isn’t overly fun. Did you know that dementia is the second most common cause of death within Australia? In 2016 it was the highest cause for women in Australia. Let’s face it that sucks.

Most people will have some form of experience of dementia whether it be through a family member, a friend of maybe even yourself. Unfortunately it is something that is very common yet not a lot of people know very much about it, to be fair I have had three family members passed who had dementia and spend around 15 years around dementia patients and I still don’t know very much about it.

Dementia does fall under the Mental Health category, therefore I think it is another one of those things of which we just don’t really talk about. Depression, Anxiety and all of the other ‘mental illnesses’ that we don’t talk about become one of those things we don’t fully understand. It doesn’t help that there is varied ways that people experience and deal with mental health but it is something we should start to understand more.

As you are aware I am not a professional in the field – or any field really – but these are some things that I have learned about dementia which may interest yourself. There is no cure for dementia, just creating a way to easily live with it. Dementia is quite a non specific disease hence the misunderstanding, it is associated with memory loss, a decline in other thinking skills and a reduction in a person’s ability to complete daily tasks. There is no specific person who will develop dementia but once passing the age of 65 the more likely you can be affected by dementia. There is also early onset dementia which can affect younger people.

People can live with dementia for a long time, it can vary from an aggressive disease or a gradual process. Either way it is important that we loose the stigma of it, if someone isn’t comfortable talking about some troubles they may be having they will not likely be able to explain it nor seek help. Not being able to talk about issues can lead to loneliness and other issues surrounding mental health. Another reminder to check on friends and family, ask them how they are and if you see a slight change in their demeanour or emotions, ask the question. Are you ok? People can always say no, but it is a relief for someone who is suffering to get the question and also have their answer listened to seriously.

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