Maureen is a woman living with dementia. Living on her own, she keeps track of her appointments and activities by putting reminders on her cork board. Maureen loves to keep busy – doing find-the-word books, walking her dog and visiting her sister and brother-in-law.
Transcript
[Beginning of recorded material]
Maureen: My name's Maureen and I live here on my own. I have two girls and one boy. I've got grandchildren, can never remember how many, but I've got grandchildren. I keep myself as active as I can.
[visual: Maureen walks with Judy]
Maureen: When I was diagnosed with dementia, I didn't know how I felt for quite a while, and it took a while to register. Then I decided, well, it's not the end of the world, to just get on with it and do what you can.
[visual: Maureen does the laundry, laughs with Judy]
Maureen: I've got so used to it now, I know what I can do, what I can't do.
[visual: Maureen puts a note on her corkboard]
Maureen: I have a pattern of what I do each day. I've got a corkboard out in the kitchen there with everything written up on it. Little square bits of paper we've got out there, and if we're doing anything, the girls will write it down and put it up on the board.
[visual: Maureen walks to the bus stop]
Maureen: Every fortnight, I go to catch my bus just around from my place, go and visit my sister and brother-in-law and then spend the day with them. Then, I come back home again.
[visual: Maureen walks to the bus stop]
Maureen: I do find the word books to keep my mind active. I can't just sit. I've got to do something, so I'll pick up the book. Well, I have a little tiny dog, Maltese, and I talk to him all the time. I walk him every day, which gives me exercise. I don't know what I would do without him.
[visual: Maureen gives her dog a treat]
Maureen: Some days, I'll get up and I think, "Oh, my head." It's in my forehead here. I think, "Oh gosh, my head." I'm fine, put the dog on and say to Rex, "Come on." Put the lead on him, go for a little walk just around a small area, which I've got because I know that he can bring me back home again. I come back good as gold.
[visual: Maureen walks with Judy, looks at photos together.]
Maureen: You just have to keep going and not sit around and mope, and get on with life, but a lot of it's what do you want to do yourself if you want to be determined, right? I'm still going to do things. I've stopped climbing, I must admit that. Climbing up, changing light bulbs and things, but everyday things, you can still do it all if you really want to do it.
[Title card: With special thanks to Maureen and Judy]
[Dementia Australia logo]
[Title card: National Dementia Hotline 1800 100 500. For language assistance call 131 450]
[Title card: Visit dementia.org.au]
[END of recorded material]
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