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A garden in the Bloom Festival is a space where people with dementia can reminisce

The garden offers a positive and enjoyable experience for people with dementia by rekindling fond memories, writes Kathy Ryan.

I WAS DIAGNOSED with younger-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 53.

My dad had vascular dementia and I was doing a course run by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, to help me understand some of his behaviours, when I realised that not only was I experiencing some of the symptoms being discussed, I was already employing some of the coping strategies including keeping a diary and using a whiteboard.

I had a very negative view of Alzheimer’s and for some months I tried to bury my head in the sand. But as time went on I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was finding ordinary, everyday things a challenge and so my journey to diagnosis began.

Following my diagnosis in January 2014, some of my feelings were grief, anger, sadness, fear, devastation and hopelessness. I felt a sense of walking in fog but also in among those feelings was a sense of relief that there was a reason why I did some of the things I did.

My two sons were still in school at the time. Andrew was doing his Leaving Cert and Matt was in fifth year and I chose not to tell them until after Andrew’s Leaving Cert exams. Those were six months of broken conversations, sleepless nights and wet pillows, feeling sorry for myself and very afraid of the future.

Gradually the old Kathy kicked in. I started to ask myself what I could I do and what attitudes or behaviours did I need to change.

I wondered whether my faith was strong enough to sustain me and I had to consider what example I wanted to set for my sons too. 

I made a vow that instead of counting each day I would make each day count. 

But one of the hardest things I have ever done was telling my boys that I had dementia. To know that I was going to bring such hardship and sadness into their lives was, and is, difficult.

The guys are now 22 and 24 – they are living their lives to the full and I am so proud of them. They know that they honour me in being the very best version of themselves.

I was encouraged to give up work (which I now think was a mistake) and I found myself with empty days to fill. So I was blessed to find the Irish Dementia Working Group which is supported by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

This group has given me back a sense of purpose, a reason to get out of bed on my not-so-good days. I have met the most incredible, inspirational people who are working hard to change the face and journey of dementia not only for those of us living with dementia but also for those who care for us.

In terms of care for people with dementia, I have witnessed pockets of excellence in this country but also, sadly, black holes of nothingness after diagnosis.

I believe a person living with dementia and their family are best cared for when the local community is involved through awareness, staying connected, support groups, a helping hand and in short, basic kindness.

With 11 people a day being diagnosed with some form of dementia in this country, we need to break the stigma and get real about this disease; it’s rare to find a family who hasn’t some connection to someone living with dementia.

Our government should be doing more to recognise the need for funding for timely diagnosis, post-diagnostic supports and services for everyone with dementia.

There should be support as well for those carers who are often working 24 hours day, seven days a week, sometimes getting little or no sleep at night.

I know that my dementia is progressing. I am having issues with swallowing, stairs can frighten me and dark flooring makes me feel like I’m going to fall into a pit.

I need to constantly concentrate or mistakes happen and this is exhausting. Each day now feels like walking in a minefield but I still choose to focus on what I can do rather than what I can’t.

I like to get out and about – that’s why I walked the Camino last year in a fundraiser organised by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and I am hoping to do it again later this year.

Taking part in the Camino was a dream come true. I thought my chance of doing something like that was over. It is amazing that I had the opportunity to take on that challenge and carry a banner for all people with dementia on that epic walk.

I was eager to show that my condition was not a barrier to doing the things that others can do.

My experience is that the vast majority of people diagnosed with dementia want to live in their own home and stay active in their own community. In order for this to happen, we need our communities to become more dementia aware.

That means we need the community to open its arms to people with dementia.

That is why initiatives like the special garden for people with dementia at this year’s Bloom Festival are so important.

The Memories Are Made Of This garden creates a space where people living with dementia can reminisce in a welcoming and supportive way.

Families from the Bloomfield Social Club in Rathfarnham in Dublin were involved in the concept of the garden which is a wonderful touch. 

A garden is a wonderful amenity that provides a tranquil, peaceful and a safe place to go for people with dementia and their families.

I love to spend time in my own garden as well. I try to plant some flowers at home myself and I really see the value in whiling away a few hours in that safe and secure environment of the garden.

To just sit and be still and to potter for an hour, when the weather is good, is just so very powerful and fulfilling.

People with dementia and their families are being encouraged to visit the 1950s-themed garden, called Memories Are Made of This – in the Bloom Festival, in Dublin’s Phoenix Park from 30 May to 3 June. 

The garden is a project of the Dementia: Understand Together campaign and aims to create a positive and enjoyable experience for people with dementia by rekindling fond memories. See here for tips on stimulating reminiscence in your own garden 

Kathy Ryan is the Vice-Chair of the Irish Dementia Working Group which is supported by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. 

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    Mute Ziggy722
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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:41 AM

    They are already talking about using this technology to cure phobias like speaking in public and other more general forms of social anxiety. The possibilities with this technology are immense and positively exciting.

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    Mute Teddington
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    Mar 30th 2016, 1:23 PM

    More likely people will use them to escape social situations as we veer further towards a fully virtual society.

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    Mute Insert funny comment
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    Mar 30th 2016, 8:22 PM

    Porn, it’s going to be used for porn. Same as the Internet.

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    Mute Gooney
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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:46 AM

    FFS get a grip,that was pure shite!

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:41 AM

    Jasus The Journal has gone downhill if this is considered newsworthy

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    Mute Foghorn Leghorn
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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:47 AM

    They’ve always peddled fluff alongside the more pressing issues. Room for them both

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:59 AM

    Every weekday at 11am we have Take a Break, it’s generally a lighter video like this. We have about 60+ articles a day, so there’s plenty to read that isn’t like this.

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    Mute Foghorn Leghorn
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:35 PM

    Great, now look what you’ve done Cosmo. Hope you’re happy.
    Pass no heed aoife you’re doing a sterling job. Snapchat hun?

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:48 PM

    Yes but not every video with an “Irish Mammy” is funny

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    Mute Paige Turners
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:59 PM

    I like the Journals work @Aoife. Never mind the bugrudgers! I think it’s a great video. .. shows how accessible it is. The Irish mammy dropping f-bombs is classic!!

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    Mute Brian
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    Mar 30th 2016, 1:33 PM

    Nothing to do with begrudging, it’s just my opinion and many others that it is cringeworthy and not remotely funny. Journal can do much better than this

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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:38 AM

    Yawn

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    Mute GameOverMan
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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:46 AM

    Was expecting more ‘

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    Mute J Judd
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:05 PM

    FFS Filming in portrait !

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    Mute OU812
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    Mar 30th 2016, 1:18 PM

    You’d think they’d make the cameras not record video in portrait by this stage…

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    Mute graham galvin
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    Mar 30th 2016, 6:05 PM

    Or you would think people would know to record with their phone sideways by now.

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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:15 PM

    Was only a matter of time before these videos arrived.

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    Mute Slew Lok
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:26 PM

    I wonder what she was watching

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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:32 PM

    It’s the jurassic Park clip. A sleeping bronctosauaus wakes up and comes over to you. It’s really cool

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    Mute Peter Mc Hugh
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:06 PM

    Why is the footage warping at sections around the womans body?

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    Mute Foghorn Leghorn
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:41 PM

    Illuminati and or NWO, with a possibility of lizard people shapeshifting

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    Mar 30th 2016, 1:12 PM
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    Mute Tertullian
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    Mar 30th 2016, 7:23 PM

    That’s nearly two minutes of my life wasted. On the plus side, at least she didn’t pepper the entire video with multiple effing and blinding which, unfortunately, one has come to expect from such Irish-made videos. But for gawd’s sake, why can’t the makers of them use landscape mode?

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    Mute Vladimir Vasyectomy
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    Mar 30th 2016, 4:12 PM

    That looked like me coming home from the pub last night.

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    Mute Gerry Fallon
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:02 PM

    Have a look at that wine rack in the background, packed!! Bit early in the day to be drinking!

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    Mute itsonlyme
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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:42 PM

    Are those the 30€ dunnes headsets?

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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:56 PM

    Gear VR

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    Mar 30th 2016, 11:59 AM

    That kitchen looks a bit dated!

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    Mar 30th 2016, 12:47 PM

    Billy big balls cause he has an island in his

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 30th 2016, 1:01 PM

    I think this is an advert…

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Mar 30th 2016, 1:00 PM

    This pornos great…

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    Mar 30th 2016, 4:18 PM
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    Mar 30th 2016, 10:16 PM

    Can’t wait to play knockout kings on this so I can finally win a fight.

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