Social isolation continues to be pinpointed as one of the most difficult challenges in living with dementia.
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This month, the Lithgow community is coming together with a range of initiatives to build an aware and inclusive environment for people who are living with dementia.
Events will be held at Lithgow Library and Gang Gang Gallery.
Lots of people think of dementia and Alzheimer’s as an “old person’s disease”, but Hartley’s Jeff Thurlow says it is important for people to realise it can also affect younger people.
He will be sharing his story at the library’s Dementia Awareness information morning, which will be held on Thursday, September 27 at 11am.
While Mr Thurlow’s diagnosis with early onset Alzheimer’s about 18 months ago came as a shock, he was determined to find ways to readjust his life and “get on with it”.
“It's not the end of the world,” he said.
People living outside of metropolitan areas faced significant challenges, he said, on top of their diagnosis itself. Accessing specialist care often meant frequent trips into the city.
“It is certainly harder for people living outside Sydney – it’s bad enough here, imagine living in Dubbo, for example,” Mr Thurlow said.
“And of course the first thing you lose [after your diagnosis] is your licence, so you have to rely on public transport.
“After you’ve been driving since you were 16, to be told you suddenly can't drive… In Sydney it’s a nuisance. But I live at Hartley, here it keeps you totally isolated.”
Without a licence, Mr Thurlow said he would be alone at his home, in isolation, for up to 14 hours every day.
“I would only have the dogs. I mean, they’re nice, but they're not enough,” he said.
He was able to secure a special licence, which allows him to travel 20km from his home in order to reach the train at Mt Victoria and Lithgow, but he knows not everyone is so lucky.
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Mr Thurlow said he sought a diagnosis after he found it impossible to adjust to a computer upgrade introduced at his workplace. After working as a service manager and learning technologies throughout his working life, he found it frustrating and confusing.
“I just couldn’t get it – it was really strange,” he said.
“I was getting tired all the time and suddenly my commute was turning into a huge burden.
“I went from feeling like a valued employee to feeling like a nuisance.”
Mr Thurlow said he wanted more people to understand and be supportive of people with a dementia diagnosis.
“If you know someone [who has dementia or Alzheimer’s], they are not stupid,” he said.
“It may take a bit longer to get to the point, but they’re not jibbering idiots.
“It is important to say that Alzheimer's is not just an old person’s thing, more and more younger people are being diagnosed.”
The joy of living in a community like Lithgow, he said, lay in being able to talk openly with people about his diagnosis.
“It takes me half an hour to walk down the street because I know so many people,” he said.
“I’m not ashamed, it is what it is. There is life beyond the news that you’ve got it.”
ArtsOutWest and Gang Gang Gallery will be running an art group for people with dementia in Lithgow in September and October.
It is open to those who have never had any experience of art to those who have lost count of the number of times they have walked through a gallery door.
“This program has been shown to increase wellbeing for people with dementia by building connections between group members and valuing the input of participants,” facilitator Christine McMillan said.
“Gang Gang Gallery is the perfect location for this program. It is a beautiful space in the local community with a variety or art from painting through to sculpture.
“I know this will assist with the most valuable aspect of program, enjoying life. ”
Kate Smith will be joining the group for selected sessions to help the participants to create movement in response to art. This assists people physically as well as with communication and cognition.
The program is inspired by the Australian National Gallery Art and Dementia Outreach Program. A variety of materials will be used in the sessions to promote movement and responses to art works. The group will talk about the works then create art that relates to them.
Carers are also invited to join in. Sessions run each Wednesday from September 26 to October 24, with morning sessions from 10.30am to 12pm and afternoon sessions from 1pm to 2.30pm.
Each session has places for four participants and their carers. Bookings are essential and can be made by calling (02) 6338 4655 or emailing artsoutwest@csu.edu.au.