Wednesday Attending GCU SHRC National Action Plan Workshop Human Rights Event 13th March

Format and expectations: a discussion  on Human rights 

• The event will run on Wednesday the 13^th March at GCU’s City Campus, Refectory Extension from 10.30am concluding no later than 3pm
• We will focus on preparatory reading and thinking in order to maximise discussion and contribution on the day.
• Advance reading material will be sent to registered participants to facilitate a ‘ready to run’ approach – we want your opinions and experience.
• A short plenary led by Professor Alan Miller will start the day
• Participants will be divided into three groups across the key themes noted below and drawn from Getting it Right?, the result of a three year research project.
• Groups will consider the key questions of Empowerment, Accountability and Ability in the context of the Getting it Right? themes
• Group activity will be chaired by Professor Bill Hughes, Rachel Russell, Morag Gillespie and other academics from the MSc Citizenship and Human Rights team.
• Output and contribution will be formally recorded for communication to Parliament through the SHRC.
• The workshop will feature an ‘Idea Wall’ to capture key contributions and insights and will be recorded through time lapse photography to serve as an archive of the day.
• Tea, coffee, refreshments and lunch will be provided

Two talks today , thank you NHS Sothern General and Cardonald College

I was up bright and early this morning to speak to social Care students at Cardonald College .With thanks to lecturer Linda Wight for inviting me along also a big thank you to the students for taking time to listen and for the Questions after my talk .As a son who cared for my his mum I am grateful for the opportunities to speak about my wee mum, dementia, caring and the letters I receive .I am back at the College on the 11^th to speak to a different class

After lunch I was over at the Sothern General Hospital to  do a presentation to Staff Nurses a big thank you to Geraldine and NHS GG&C for the invite This happens to be the hospital my wee mum sadly passed away back in September and the seminar room was next to the ward my wee mum spent time in .so a lot of emotions just now .and since I came home . Thank you to all the staff nurses for their time ,questions and for taking time to listen to a son and his story .I will be back there again soon as they has asked me to do a talk to the wider staff across the wards  in the next few weeks

I hope my talks in some small way help bring more understanding on life caring for a loved one and I will keep talking as long as people keep inviting and listening

Tommy  

Speaking Labour Party Conference fringe Meeting April 20th

Speaking Labour Party Conference fringe Meeting April 20th  

Hi 

A  few  weeks ago  I popped through to the Scottish Parliament to meet Labour leader Johann Lamont and shadow health secretary Jackie Baillie  to chat about my awareness campaign. We had a chat about life caring for my wee mum and the life stories I receive .while I was there I was invited to speak at  the Labour party conference in April up in Inverness .I  look forward to speaking as a son who cared for his mum and about the many hundreds of people who have shared  their life stories .Over the last years the SNP  have been very approachable and   supportive of my campaign in particular the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who I have great respect for ,I am also grateful to Johann and Jackie for this opportunity  After all this a story about a mum a son and many other husbands ,wives ,sons ,daughters and families

 this is an awareness campaign about love ,heartbreak ,hopes struggle, dreams respect and dignity 

Tommy

 at parliament with  Johann and Jackie

Today speaking southern General Hospital and Cardonald College

Hi

I have two talks today . In the morning  I  have been invited   to speak to social carer students at Cardonald College .This is the first  of two talks there the second is on March 11^th

With thanks to lecturer Linda wright for the invite

The toughest talk of all

Later in the afternoon I will be speaking at the hospital my wee mum Joan sadly passed away .My mum was very rarely in hospital over the 5 years I cared for her ,but was in 3 times over the last 2 months of her life as her health deteriorated .Each time for a week and on the 3^rd mum sadly passed away .I want to thank NHSgg&c  especially the staff nurse for inviting me to share my experiences caring for mum and the times mum was admitted .this just might be the toughest talk of all  

Thank you to all above for the invite I look forward to speaking about my magnificent mum ,dementia ,caring ,the life stories I receive and people I meet on my tour   

Dementia Love story or tragedy which part will society play

Love story or tragedy we all have our part to play

My mums life was built on a love story ,her love for family and care for and about all she met.Mums  love for my dad,his love for her. Growing up like many family we had  our moments but my mums love always conquered.We where always put first and at all times,mums ability to care for and about all she met was inspiring ,she was magnificent in my eyes and I miss her dearly .I was thinking about recovery yesterday,I don’t think I will ever recover from missing my mum and a big part of that ,the biggest part was all that dementia brought .My mum met my dad one day and they fell in love,so there began a love story and no matter what challenges came our way we always had love to get us through There is a pain in my heart that just wont go away and I don’t think it ever will ,it was just to hard and I felt to helpless to often .Dementia on its own can break your heart.When dad passed away 10 years ago I thought mum would die from a broken heart ,I truly did but what is cruller to die from a broken heart or not remember due to dementia the reason ,the person your heart was broken,but mum had a family and friends to care for and worry about ,she worried and cared for and about everyone and everything,so she put aside or hid her broken heart so she could give her best for all .I cant hide my broken heart ,there was to  much struggle to many days feeling helpless,to little understanding from within and towards us and in my opinion across society around and about dementia My mum like all mums and dads,like all people deserve the right to keep their  life stories closer to love stores and away from tragedies.Society has its own part to play.until we take dementia and the understanding on dementia to the wider society then veering towards tragedy will always be there,until the wider society and the people we encounter because of dementia understand the impact this illness has and their actions have on our lives then the final chapter of our lives and love stories will always be affected   

My heart smiles when I think of the people who helped keep mums love story on closer to on track against all odds during her journey with dementia ,but they where far to few but they will always have a place in my heart for helping a son and his mum get thought the best they could the down side is we encountered to many who held us back, who never engaged who only saw a wee woman with dementia and almost wrote mum off 

,My mum was never just a wee woman with dementia ,she was Joan whitelaw magnificent ,kind and caring and right  to the end her eyes shone with love she  cared more about us than many cared about her

Love story or tragedy what part will you play in the life of others

Tommy             

The pain in my heart that won’t go away

A pain in my heart that won’t go away

It was a beautiful morning and day here in Glasgow .I started with the best intentions to clean the house from top to bottom. My week days are busy and full with talks ,meetings and awarerness projects .Night times and  weekends are another matter .To much time to think maybe ,I have always I think been a hard worker much like my mum and dad and the last 5 years physically and emotionally where the hardest and toughest of all .As dementia took its course and toll my mum needed me more each day and our days where a succession of getting through today to get through tomorrow ,That is something I hope we can all change making days the best they can be giving more time to love ,live and cherish. For the weekend since my wee mum passed away I felt positive the sunshine can do that ,the scent of spring can lift our spirits the deeper I delved into today’s clear out the more memories I had to face and I was stuck between a smile in my heart and a pain that just wont go away .Both my mum and dad where great and I remember on the days when it felt to hard I used think oh dad if you where here everything would be Ok,This woman you loved and who loved you so much who was lost and a son who was also lost ,you would make it ok .Mum at the most critical times made it ok for us both ,Her greatness shone through her kindness and love kept us going even at our lowest moments .This reversal in roles brought us closer A son trying to give a mum the carer she needed and gave so well to me and she became my best pal and sometimes my only pal but always my best .And I miss her so much I sit sometimes with broken hearted memories of mum who deserved better and think who going to make it ok and I miss her so much there is a pain in my hear that just wont go away

Tommy

March 22nd Speaking at SDCRN conference Stirling University

Hi

With great thanks to the SDCRN for inviting me to speak at their annual conference on March 22^nd .I look forward to speaking about life caring for my wee mum ,the life stories I receive and the people I have met  on my tour along with showing my short film .

Speakers over the two day event are as follows  

Professor John Obrien (Cambridge)

Professor Peter Passmore (Belfast)

Dr Patrick Kehoe (Bristol)

Simon Ridley (Alzheimer research UK)

Professor Pauline Banks (UWS)

Dr Gary Stevenson (Stratheden hospital)

Dr Maggie Robertson (University Highlands and Islands)

Shirley Law (DSDC Stirling)

Tommy Whitelaw Tommyontour / dementia carer voices

You can get more details on the 2 day event at the link below

www.sdcrn.org.uk

www.sdcrn.org.uk

Facebook page: sdcrn

Twitter: @TheSDCRN

Tommy

Just home from Alz Scot Bridging the Gap event Helensburgh

Hi

I was through in Helensburgh earlier today with Chris attending  the Alzheimer Scotland  bridging the Gap Event. Chris who works on the Dementia Carer Voices project is a local lad so I had a wee tour of Hellensburgh by foot added in .The dialogue event was set up to highlight ,explain and discuss the Scottish Government post diagnostic commitment and I found it very interesting and educational .Helensbugh fall within one of the test areas for this new commitment so it was good to learn more about it

Well done to dave for taking to the floor and explaining all and to Jean for helping us lose the quiz ,(I Kid) .but the mention of the day goes to Margaret for sharing her experience and insight to her life caring for her Loving Husband I know how difficult this can be as ITS  the basis of my own campaign

A wee photo with Chris ,Dave and Jean from Alzheimer Scotland and Margaret

Tommy Whitelaw
Dementia Carers Voices

My motion passed Glasgow city Council your words can help #dementia #Caring

Back in February I took life stories and reports on the life stories people send me to Glasgow City Council and had a cross party motion passed as below We met a few weeks ago to set this group up and meet again early February to start the new GCC dementia working group ,this was based on peoples lives in their own words I hope you can help me collect more thoughts and opinions before the next meeting to keep this a motion by people for people you can send you’re thoughts to

tommy@i-woz-there.com

With thanks to all who passed this especially Cllr McDonald Cllr Flanagan Cllr Kerr and Ann Cumming from SW GLASGOW

MOTION

Council recognizes the inspirational efforts of Tommy Whitelaw in raising awareness of the issues effecting the carers and families of people suffering from Dementia through his “Tommy on Tour” campaign

Council agrees to set-up a Cross Party Working Group to engage with carers and to ensure that the services provided to carers are appropriate to the needs of the carers and those suffering from Dementia and that the Working Group’s findings be presented by Council to the Scottish Government.

Tommy

Son, awareness campaigner

#rememberjoan

Introduction to Dementia Carer Voices Project Team

Introduction to Dementia Carer Voices Project Team

As you know,  my Tommy on Tour campaign has been taken under the wing of the ALLIANCE as a two year project with funding from the Scottish Government. I am really proud that a campaign which started from my bedroom whilst caring for my Mum Joan has reached a stage to work alongside the Alliance who do a lot of really good work on behalf of people living with many long term conditions. I am really looking forward to working with them, as my campaign has always been about people and I believe I have found the right people to take my project to a new stage. I have great respect for the Alliance Chief Executive Ian Welsh, Programme Director Irene Oldfather who was on my wish list to work with for the last year, and Christopher Doyle who will be leading on Policy and Information. I believe this forms a partnership of people
 who together can help represent families like mine who have shared their life stories with me.

Please see below some more information on the Dementia Carer Voices Project Team that I am proud to working alongside.

Programme Director : Irene Oldfather 

Irene Oldfather is presently Programme Director at the Alliance leading on Dementia Carer Voices, the Life Changes Trust Project and Active Ageing. 
Formerly as a Member of the Scottish Parliament, Irene set up and Chaired the Cross Party Group on Alzheimer’s and Dementia which drafted and agreed the Charter of Rights for People with Dementia and their Carers, now incorporated into Scotland’s National Dementia Strategy.  As an MSP for 12 years Irene actively campaigned on the rights of older people and was the first ever Member of the Scottish Parliament to be nominated and shortlisted for Dod’s 2009  UK Parliamentary Award for services to Older People. She also Chaired the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee until May 2011.
She was a Member of Committee of the Regions for 14 years until May 2011 and in October 2011 and February 2012, she returned to Chair seminars on European Year of Active Ageing 2012, in Brussels. Her recent publications include PATH to Active Ageing 2012.
Irene was educated at Strathclyde University, where she obtained an Honours degree in Politics and a post graduate MSc by Research. Before becoming an MSP she taught at the University of Arizona and the University of West of Scotland and worked as a journalist, researcher and broadcaster.
January 2013

Policy and Information Assistant: Christopher Doyle

Christopher is working alongside me to collect some of the key messages shared in the life stories and present these in a way that we can use to inform Health and Social Care Policymakers and Practitioners.
Before joining the Alliance, Christopher graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Politics, and worked monitoring Scottish Parliamentary Committees and Debates for a public affairs agency.

Further Information
For more information on our project, please visit http://www.alliance-scotland.org.uk/get-involved/view/dementia-carers-voices/, or alternatively contact tommy.whitelaw@alliance-scotland-org.uk or christopher.doyle@alliance-scotland.org.uk

Today Meeting the Care Inspectorate to discuss letters and life stories

Hi

The care inspectorate have been in touch and we are meeting on Monday to chat about my awareness work ,the letters ,Dementia Carer Voices and my tour .Last year I went meet with them and David who worked there at the time was a guest speaker at a care inspectorate meets the carers day I set up at a charity Carr Gomm at the top of my street .David has since left and his replacement sent an e mail to say they have been following my blog over the last months and would like to meet up look at ways of possibly working together .so looking forward to Monday to see what opportunities arise .My belief has not changed since day one ,our lives in words is the best way to bring more understanding on how we live and feel our experiences good and bad can be the foundation to the best training and care for all who are and will facie the illness in the future

We can be part of the best understanding; you can share you thoughts or opinions at tommy@i-woz-there.com  letters life and love stories

Tommy