Aged Care Insite Issue 92 | December 2015 - January 2016 | Page 9

Photo: Chris Hopkins

news

The power of their example
Trish Underhill

New website and booklet feature
the activities and experiences of
people living with dementia.

R

etired teacher Trish Underhill
decided right when she was first
diagnosed with dementia that she
was going to be proactive.
“I thought if I’ve got this disease, then I
am going to be proactive about it and help
in any way that I can,” she said.
Underhill is now part of a group of
people with dementia who have helped

create a new national resource, launched
by Alzheimer’s Australia Vic at the Victorian
Parliamentary Friends of Dementia.
The resource – Engage, Enable, Empower
– comprises a website and booklet that
share the stories of 14 participants, such
as Huong, who gardens to stay active, and
Colin, who keeps his mind stimulated by
attending regular Yiddish classes.
Messages threaded throughout
the stories include the importance of
maintaining your mind, body and overall
health, and of seeking support from loved
ones and the community.

Study finds people with
dementia are, most likely, able
to take part in more activities
than acquaintances think.

P

Don’t
underestimate
them

eople living with dementia in
long-term care may well be capable
of engaging in more activities than
their relatives and carers think, a study from
Queensland researchers has found.
The report, released by Griffith University’s
Dementia Collaborative Research Centre,
found that staff and families felt a level of
pessimism regarding the ability of those with
dementia to engage in various activities, due
to their condition.
Researchers examined participation
levels of residents with dementia in
53 aged-care facilities nationwide.
The analysis looked at engagement in
indoor and outdoor activities, with each
participant give