My Story

 

 ‘Dementia Downunder’ is a blog site for anyone in Australia impacted by dementia. It is all inclusive and everyone is welcome.

My name is Brett Partington, my Dad (Bob) had Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years and recently passed away at the age of 72. My aim is to help other families by documenting his journey, sharing information & experiences and telling our personal story of how we battled Alzheimer’s Disease as a family.

This website is suited for people with dementia, carers & family members. It is a place where I  share the highs and lows of living with dementia in a warts ‘n’ all manner (with no filter). As a family we had plenty of laughs and never ever gave up, no matter what. Even though we had had some massive challenges, we looked at our journey in a positive manner and put our story in the public domain to help others.

I have plenty of ‘lived experience’  as a family carer, a carer within a nursing home, a volunteer lifestyle carer, and spent many hours assisting the nurses, interns, doctors, psychiatrists and security teams during Bob’s stays in hospital. Bob had previously been admitted to the RAH & Repat Hospitals and spent the last 3 years in a nursing home, so I have been able to gain a unique insight into the world of dementia from the inside. We  spent 104 days in hospital and 29 days in a mental health assessment ward  which exposed us to amazing lived experiences.This journey has enabled me to understand the role of carers and nurses as well as experiencing all the ‘ups & downs’ of being a family member of a person with dementia.

I am also championing dignity for our aged community both in hospitals and nursing homes via the ‘Dignity in Care’ Action Group and ‘Adelaide Hills Dementia Working Group’. I am proud to be the consumer representative for the ‘Comprehensive Care of Older Persons Working Group’ and the ‘Caring For Cognitive Impairment’ Campaign in CALHN (Central Adelaide Local Health network –  nRAH and QEH Hospitals). I am also on the Oakden Restrictive Practices Expert Working Group. I am a volunteer Lifestyle carer for Eldercare and enjoy running the ‘Men’s Group’ at one of their sites.

The Dignity in Care program aims to change the culture of SA health services by reinforcing the importance of treating patients with dignity and respect. Simply click the link below for more details:

 

***PLEASE NOTE: All the opinions stated in this website are my own. I will pass on what I learn as I go as I had no idea what we were about to face as a family as we dealt with the progression of the disease. I hope to educate others and let them know that they are not alone, and hopefully enable people to gain some comfort and insight along the way. There are approx 413,000 people in Australia with dementia, and 50 million in the world and is increasing every day.

This site is not to be used for medical advice and you should consult your health practitioners at all times. It is simply a place where I share my thoughts, ideas and feelings about living with dementia.