Dementia and Caring - our Life Stories can Can Help Others

Hi

Everyone affected by dementia has a unique story to tell and by sharing your experience you can help to tackle the misunderstandings surrounding dementia and offer hope to people in the same situation.

This was very much the basis behind my first venture in to the world of awareness raising. I wanted to collect letters from people across Scotland caring for a loved one with dementia, to find out whether the struggles I faced were mine and mine alone, and how other carers who had been through the same journey as I was embarking on, had managed to cope. The letters I received let me know that the challenges I faced were far from unique my own situation, and meeting and speaking to people in a similar situation was one of the most helpful and beneficial things I have ever done.

Our Dementia Carer Voices project aims to provide a platform upon which carers can express their views and experiences of caring for a loved one living with dementia. It is based on the life stories of families and carers who have faced or are facing this tragic illness and I truly believe the experiences we have faced and are facing at this time can help others who will have a family member diagnosed in the future. The journey and challenges we face can help bring more understanding and help for others. I feel we have to share our experiences with the powers that be and within the care sector in order to have them truly understand how we live and feel. Dementia and caring need to be discussed more openly and honestly in order to bring a better understanding to the wider public

Our lives in our own words

If you have a story or experience you would like to share please e-mail to dementiacarersvoices@alliance-scotland.org.uk or complete our short survey athttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V7SYL2G

You can also listen to the stories of carers I met on my Tommyontour campaign reading from their letters sent to me at the link here http://tinyurl.com/md34gk6