The Dementia Podcast

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In this episode of The Dementia Podcast, Colm introduces an expert panel as they explore the care considerations for First Nations peoples with a particular focus on dementia care. Members of this panel include; Professor Dawn Bessarab, a Bard/Yindijibarndi woman, Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at the University of Western Australia,  Stephanie Charlesworth, a Dementia Consultant from SA  who has worked with First Nations communities and organisations in the NT, and Meghan Heatrick a Dementia Consultant who’s  worked in greater Sydney, Alice Springs and other communities and is currently studying a master's in Indigenous Health. 

Together this group, discusses the current environment of care of First Nations peoples, what quality of life and care means for First Nations peoples and how this can be different from the general Australian population. 

DSA has free downloadable resources for use when caring for a First Nations person living with dementia. These resources have been co-designed in consultation with DSA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander expert review panel and champions group.

You can access here the ‘Good Sprit Good Life’ assessment tool developed by Dawn and the team at ‘Aboriginal Ageing Well Research’ as well as information on how to be involved in their research and further validation of this tool. 

The 'Little Red Yellow Black Book' is a suggested resource by the panel as a guide to the rich cultures and histories of Australia’s First Peoples.

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In the final episode of this season of the Dementia Podcast, Ailsa talks with filmmaker Jason van Genderen and Megan van Genderen about their recently released documentary Everybody’s Oma and about the challenges, heartbreak and love captured in the film as they cared for Oma. 

Through Ailsa’s conversation with Jason and Megan we explore their journey of care, the choices they made to fight for and maintain Oma’s independence and the difficulties that brought, all during the pandemic. 

Ailsa and Colm speak about what loss can do to the people nearest and dearest to those living with dementia and how support sometimes fails in those moments. 

We’re very proud to have brought you this season of the podcast, Starting Conversations. We’re going to be busy working away on the next season but please do subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to stay up to date.
 
If you have any questions, thoughts or feedback for the season we really would love to hear from you. Please do get in touch at [email protected]



The music for this podcast is reproduced with the permission of the composer and is registered with APRA 

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In our penultimate episode of the season, Colm talks with Susan Kurrle, a geriatrician, and professor at the faculty of medicine and health at the University of Sydney. 

Together they explore the differences in dementia and how progression for each person may vary.

Ailsa continues her conversation with Jim and Clare, investigating their approach to getting the answers they searched for post-diagnosis.

As Ailsa talks more with them, we find out how relationships also change after diagnosis. Ailsa asks Colm more about why this can happen. 

The Dementia Podcast will be releasing every week, so please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to stay up to date.
 
If you have any questions, please get in touch at [email protected]

The music for this podcast is reproduced with the permission of the composer and is registered with APRA    

Support Links:

About Dementia

Living with Dementia – Support (Australia)

My Home My Life – Carer Resource

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Ailsa heads to the Wurun Senior Campus in Melbourne to chat with the students about dementia and through the conversations we see some of the community perceptions. The students share generously about their own personal experiences and the education and information they have received about dementia. 

Looking at the community we hear once more from Donna Lee as she speaks to Ailsa about her support group.

Colm talks with podcast regular, Prof Mary Marshall, professor Emeritus at the University of Stirling where she was the director of the Dementia Services Development Centre for 16 years. They talk about design within the community and within the home. 

The Dementia Podcast will be releasing every week, so please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to stay up to date.
 
If you have any questions, please get in touch at [email protected]

The music for this podcast is reproduced with the permission of the composer and is registered with APRA   

Support Links:

Talking Sense - free download book and audio: https://www.dementiacentre.com/resources/resource-category-2?filter[search]=talking%20sense&filter[category][0]=2

Toilet Talk: https://www.dementiacentre.com/resources/resource-category-2?filter[search]=toilet%20talk&filter[category][0]=2

Dementia Centre - Dementia Choices: https://www.dementiacentre.com/dementiachoices/why-dementia-design-matters 

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In this episode we join Colm as he heads over to chat with John Swinton, a theologian and a world leader in disability theology.  John is also the chair in Divinity and Religious Studies, Professor of Practical Theology and Pastoral Care, University of Aberdeen. 

Colm talks with John about the journey he has been on in his career, and what has led him to do what he does now. They talk about knowing the whole person, and how important it is for that to inform the way we care and communicate. 

We hear from Clare and Jim once again, talking about the initial reactions of their family and friends after Clare’s diagnosis. 

During IDC John finds a time to share his thoughts with Ailsa, on what makes a person, and how memory is often assumed by society to be what makes us up.  

The Dementia Podcast will be releasing every week, so please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to stay up to date.
 
If you have any questions, please get in touch at [email protected]

The music for this podcast is reproduced with the permission of the composer and is registered with APRA

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We join Ailsa on a chilly Melbourne afternoon as she chats with Steve Macfarlane, head of clinical services for DSA. They discuss how a diagnosis is delivered and we hear from Clare and Jim as they recount the experience.

One question the podcast asks is how early is early when it comes to picking up on a future diagnosis. To that end, we hear from Craig Ritchie as he explains looking for new ways to detect and measure the progression of the disease in the brain in a ‘silent period’.

In addition, Craig stresses the importance of looking at dementia as a disease of the brain and the focus on maintaining brain health.

The Dementia Podcast will be releasing every week, so please subscribe on your favourite podcast platform to stay up to date.

If you have any questions, please get in touch at [email protected]

The music for this podcast is reproduced with the permission of the composer and is registered with APRA

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In episode two of our new series, Ailsa heads over to talk to Dr Sally Cockburn, also known for her regular radio hosting role as ‘Dr Feelgood’ in her segment Talking Health with Dr Sally Cockburn

They talk next steps, following on from those first signs, and what that process looks like for the GP and how Sally has handled those conversations. 

To find out more about this process Ailsa chats with Donna Lee, a dementia advocate at the International Dementia Conference that happened in September. Donna shares her experience of diagnosis and moving on with her life. 

The Dementia Podcast will be released every week, so please subscribe on your favourite podcast platform to stay up to date.
 
 If you have any questions, please get in touch at [email protected]

The music for this podcast is reproduced with the permission of the composer and is registered with APRA

Send us a text

The Dementia Podcast is back!

In this the first episode in our new series, Starting Conversations, host Colm Cunningham is joined by author and resident guest, Ailsa Wild.

Ailsa meets with her neighbours, Clare & Jim to talk about what it was like for them when Clare had those first signs of dementia and the conversation with their doctor receiving a diagnosis.

Colm then joins Ailsa to talk about what some of those first signs might look like, as well as set the context for their conversations moving forward.

The Dementia Podcast will be releasing every week, so please subscribe on your favourite podcast platform to stay up to date.

If you have any questions, please get in touch at [email protected]

The music for this podcast is reproduced with the permission of the composer and is registered with APRA

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In National Reconciliation Week: Be Brave Make Change, we wanted to reshare one of our episodes of ‘The Dementia Podcast’ from last year celebrating the history, culture and achievements of First Nations peoples. 

Joining Colm in this episode, HammondCare CEO Mike Baird shares what reconciliation means to HammondCare and why it is important to embark on the journey of reconciliation, acknowledging their role in caring for all people, including First Nations people living with dementia, and the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan.

Colm then introduces an expert panel as they explore the care considerations for First Nations peoples with a particular focus on dementia care. Members of this panel include; Professor Dawn Bessarab, a Bard/Yindijibarndi woman, Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at the University of Western Australia,  Stephanie Charlesworth, a Dementia Consultant from SA  who has worked with First Nations communities and organisations in the NT, and Meghan Heatrick a Dementia Consultant who’s  worked in greater Sydney, Alice Springs and other communities and is currently studying a master's in Indigenous Health. 

Together this group, discusses the current environment of care of First Nations peoples, what quality of life and care means for First Nations peoples and how this can be different from the general Australian population. 

DSA has free downloadable resources for use when caring for a First Nations person living with dementia. These resources have been co-designed in consultation with DSA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander expert review panel and champions group.

You can access here the ‘Good Sprit Good Life’ assessment tool developed by Dawn and the team at ‘Aboriginal Ageing Well Research’ as well as information on how to be involved in their research and further validation of this tool. 

The 'Little Red Yellow Black Book' is a suggested resource by the panel as a guide to the rich cultures and histories of Australia’s First Peoples.
 
For all feedback please email [email protected] 

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In this episode Colm shares the future plans for the podcast including a new seasonal format and an intermission period.  

#Savethedate for September when the Dementia Podcast will be back with weekly episodes. To stay up to date on our progress follow us @Dementia_Centre on twitter and check in our website dementiacentre.com.  

We always want to hear your ideas and feedback and as our Dementia Podcast production team are in planning mode for our first seasonal format, there has never been a better time to share with us your ideas! If you have any stories about your own experiences about dementia, please reach out to us at [email protected].  

Thanks again and bye for a little while!