I made a reference at the beginning of this Blog to the teams of people that I have at my disposal. The haunting words on diagnosis from the Consultant at the Memory Clinic: ‘You will have to get used to your new reality.’ convinced me to spring into action. If we were going to have a life with dementia I would need lots of help to fathom out this new reality. As time has gone by I have changed my formations but have been eager to recruit allies in our struggle to cope with dementia.
I suppose I am fortunate that I have had an unusual educational background. Leaving school at 15 without taking any examinations I gained a Masters Degree in Continuing Education and the Management of Change at Warwick University in my mid 40’s. Yet I have no first degree: just a host of professional qualifications. This has involved attendance, of one sort or another, at three Universities.
In my professional career despite working for the same Local Authority for 25 years I have had a broad range of roles. Central to all my positions has been team building: my track record is good in that area. So building teams is nothing new to me. So once the advice to accept the new reality had been given I began a team building exercise.
I have groups of people far and widespread who can assist in all sorts of situations. I have academics who can point me in the direction of research and will help me to review my thinking on matters. I have people close by who I can pop round to see to mull over matters. There are others with professional hats to wear who ply their trade in the dementia business. I think I know my way around the maze a little better than I did 12 months ago.
I would advise anyone who is faced with this dreadful condition to recruit, recruit and recruit. Just to give an glimmer of the availability on hand for us. Last week a Professor of Clinical Psychology interrupted his month in Bali to send me a reference I a may have missed. In the last week someone I had never made contact with before started acting as my mentor in the development of this blog.
Dementia is a time when you find out who your real friends and allies are. When someone you have never met interrupts their holiday in Bali to send you a message and another new contact is prepared to keep an eye on your blog then you know that your team building skills are more needed than ever in your life.
Post Script.
Just had a knock on the door from a neighbour to let me know that M is off on her travels. My hailing of her has made no difference as she indicates she was unsure where I was; so she is off somewhere. I don’t know how long she will be gone for. However, I know if I get concerned members of my Search Team will assist in bringing her back home safe and sound.
