WITH more than 30,700 Western Australians living with dementia, Alzheimer’s Australia WA’s (AAWA) roadshow traveled around the state to help the stigma around the disease.
Glenda Parkin, who was diagnosed with a rare form of early onset dementia called Benson’s disease or posterior cortical atrophy in 2010, was joined by her husband Bronte for the Life Worth Living presentation at Ac-cent on Friday for Dementia Awareness Month.
Her condition meant Mrs Parkin has trouble recognising objects for what they are – a symptom which Mr Parkin first noticed five years ago.
“She would have water, which is a colourless object and she would hesitate to pick it up because she couldn’t locate it,” he said.
“When I point it out she could find it but she would need to be able to focus in on it.
“It’s not blindness and it’s not a vision impairment as we know it, but it was something which happens in the brain.”
A former principal of Penhros College in Perth, Mrs Parkin now uses her time educating people about dementia to help AAWA raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with the disease.
Mr Parkin said it was important for people to know about their dementia disgnosis, of which Alzheimer’s is only one type and include those closest in the diagnosis process.
“It’s often people who are closest to you who are important in the diagnosis,” he said.
“They can tell the GP what has changed about the person.
“We also believe if you know what type of dementia you have, it might lead to a better way of managing it.”
Alzheimer’s Australia WA chief executive Rhonda Parker said there were more than 100 different forms of dementia.
“For those living with a diagnosis and their families, dementia can be an extremely isolating condition with a lot of negative stigma attached,” she said.
“Dementia Awareness Month is a time for people to educate themselves on a disease that sadly will impact, directly or indirectly, most members of our community at some point in their lives.
“[It] is an opportunity for all Western Australians to start their journey of understanding dementia and learning what being ‘dementia friendly’ means.”
