We were pleased to welcome 4 new members and 1 returning member. All the usual regulars sent their apologies and said they would be back next time.
As we had so many new people we recapped some of the items we had discussed before.
We discussed:
- Feelings of isolation.
- Dealing with differences of opinion: who’s reality is “real”, is the “truth” worth an argument?
- The impact of a loved one going into care.
- The black spot analogy – a disease is only one part of a person’s story.
- The bookcase analogy – the effect of dementia on memory.
- The need for carers to look after themselves as their first priority.
- Good reads: info here
- Carers Toolkit : Understanding the different types of memory, how they are used all the time seamlessly and the impact of breaks in the chains.
After the meeting there was some discussion about:
- The benefits and downsides to moving home after a diagnosis and the Alzheimer’s Society’s discussion forum “Talking Point”: info here
- How people with dementia may be affected by noise: info here
- The possible link between pollution and dementia: info here
- The Alzheimer’s Society’s information hub: info here
Janet also suggested members consider joining a Mooc / Coursera course. These sites have many types of free courses including one about dementia. *: info here.
As a new feature, where carers are supporting someone remotely and not able to attend our Friendship Group, we are providing copies of our puzzles and quizzes from the previous Friendship Group session so they can do them together.
* We have not yet taken the course on dementia so are unable to provide any comment about it. However it looks interesting.
The next Carers’ Group is on Monday 9th October.
We look forward to seeing you next time.
Reflections 