I would be difficult for me to sign up but the Girl Guides have been invaluable as I have tried to deal with  dementia as the elephant in the room.  It wasn’t as if I signed up to the organisation: it was almost as if I stumbled blindly through the maze they held out a helping hand.

My Chief Guide has been H my Admiral Nurse: now she is a one.  None of the political correctness that infects the Public Sector with H.  She is prepared to say it as it is without beating about the bush.  We get on like a house on fire and talk the same language: quite clear about our heritage.  H put me onto Teepa Snow who is a guiding light in the filed of dementia.

Then there is ‘Lady in Red’ (you should see that dress) our Dementia Engagement Officer.  A bundle of fun almost a giggle a minute but as sharps as a tack at holding a novices hand.

Moving onto the formal side of things our Social Worker is no mug.  She has an astute approach to the condition: far from one of these ‘go with the flow merchants’, who I find so tiresome.

The Chemist down the road is a little gem in all senses of the word.  Always a bundle of fun who will generally see me at the ‘drop of a hat’ to answer my latest query.  She even persuaded me to use Kindle to check out a novel source on dementia.

The Night Owls at the Single Point of Access have been a great comfort in the last few days.  They have helped me to find my way through a difficult area of the maze when the going got tough.  Empathy and compassion shine through even in the early hours in the morning at the end of a long shift.

Finally the Practice Manager at our Medical Centre and her staff have turned somersaults to support us on our journey.  We could not have asked for more to help from them on our journey.

Never joined the Boy Scouts myself but if you are trying to find your way around maze of dementia call on the Girl Guides.  You may not find your way out of the maze but your journey might just be a little more comfortable.