The Brolly - Summer Edition '22

The Brolly

UMBRELLA DEMENTIA CAFÉS NEWSLETTER

SUMMER EDITION

Awareness Champions

The success, awareness and continuation of Umbrella Dementia Cafés in 2022 is easily attributed to the people in every café and to our collaborative partners who believed our vision had legs and worth every effort to nurture and support more people living with dementia in more communities in Australia.

Our vision for 2022 was to focus on our five cafés, make them stronger and more supportive with accessible, responsive and high-quality café programs. Thanks to you all, I believe we achieved this in spades and even extended our support to four other independent dementia cafés and community organisations in regional Victoria and Tasmania.

Our beautiful cafés are full and our volunteership is equal to those who attend. This year, we all felt the joy and relief settling back into our normal café routines and revelled in the laughter that came with every meeting.

Credit goes to every volunteer and café facilitators who continued the loving and inclusive culture they embodied every week. You are courageous, fearless individuals who are single

focused in supporting the wellbeing of couples living with dementia. And, I am proud to be one amongst you.

Thank you to our UDC team Rebecca Thorburn, Cathy Day and Leanne Wallace who have gone above and beyond to ensure we have BEAUTIFUL connected café groups.

On behalf of everyone at Umbrella Dementia Cafes, I’d like to wish you all a joyful holiday season, a happy New Year and a relaxing summer break with your family and friends. See you all back in February 2023!

In this issue...

Reaching More in Need

It is with enormous pride and pleasure to write The Brolly from our new Umbrella Dementia Cafés office in the Box Hill Town Hall Hub! Thank you to Whitehorse City Council who we warmly welcome as a key supporter. Thank you too, to our proud collaborators Pressroom Partners for designing and printing this latest edition of The Brolly.

Brain Training Gift Box

Create joy for a person like Roy

Roy isn’t easily interested in anything and struggles to communicate. But give him one of our puzzles, he comes alive! He feels a huge sense of achievement and connection with the world around him. With the bright instruction page, clear imagery & large pieces, Roy is set up for success.

You too can create joy for a person like Roy, by buying a Brain Training Gift Box. We’ll immediately gift a Match’em, a Connect’em & a Solve’em pack to a person experiencing dementia and we’ll personally gift wrap it and present it to a vulnerable personal living with dementia. We’ll also send you a photo showing how your $139 improved someone’s life.

Donate a Brain Training Gift today.

What’s included in our Brain Training Gift Box?

We will choose one from each of the Match’em, Solve’em and Connect’em range.

These beautiful real-life images have been carefully selected to inspire storytelling while enjoying the old-style ‘turn over’ memory game or snap! 12 matching pairs, perfect for the World Traveller or homebodies during the 50’s 60’s & 70’s.

These five beautiful A3 size, 48 piece and 2mm thick puzzles can be wiped clean and all have contrasting under-side for a clearer ‘right side up’. The familiar imagery is perfect for storytelling and connection for the whole family.

We can share these beautiful products with you and the world because of our generous supporters.

Each board is A3 size, with 13 easy to read equations using imperial maths terms. Designed for people who have always loved maths or mind challenging games. Choose from three levels.

Umbrella Café Blackburn

connections. One member said to me, “I just love it here, the people are so welcoming” and then with a nod and a smile, “yes, just everything is wonderful!”. I echo that sentiment, “everything is wonderful!”

It would be remiss of me not to mention, the space itself! The team of volunteers that come the day prior and transform a large empty room into something beautiful, is a work of art and certainly adds to the café ambiance.

settings, flowers and candles, images and tiered cake stands, spoke not only of the love for our monarch but of the people who would come to pay their respects. It was not surprising this cafe was particularly beautiful. It was clear so many people had a deep love for either Queen Elizabeth II, or for the songs she held dear.

Music has become a big part of our café, and again the café came to life, when all the umbrellas came out for “Singing in The Rain” at our dancing

Farewell Clare Gillen

There are few words to describe the extraordinary, selfless and loving support Clare has shown carers who have attended our cafes over the past 6 years. Sadly, Clare has decided to step back in her volunteer role to pursue other interests and dedicate her time to care for her dear husband John.

café. The whole morning was full of joy, listening to Gladys and Doug and Betty’s daughter Jenny sing a duet of Bessame Mucho and our dance routine to “Rock Around the Clock” put a smile on everyone’s face.

I have no doubt our final cafés for the year will be a celebration not to be missed with plenty of memories made to carry us over the summer break.

Café Schedule 2023

January: No cafés

February: Wednesday 1st Feb, Tuesday 21st Feb

March to December: Meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday each month, 10am – 12 noon

Clare is the founder and of the Care & Share program and has helped shape the program which has become a key element of our café model. Clare will be desperately missed by so many people and we wish her the very best in the future. Christine Smith will proudly assume the role as new Umbrella Café, Blackburn Care & Share facilitator.

The Koonung Café

Koonung Cottage Community House, 109 Koonung Road, Blackburn North

As we move into the warmer weather, we have had plenty of special times at our Koonung Café.

Our once small café is full of joyful laughter and conversation. With the addition of one more lovely couple, our room is literally bursting at the seams, none of us mind the squeeze as long as we can be together.

Koonung is a sporty bunch and Marg Pearce showed us all up by picking the winner of the footy tipping most weeks, sadly not backing the Cats for the Grand Final where her husband Bruce had the last laugh. It’s the final goal that counts.

We were especially privileged to celebrate the Diamond Wedding Anniversary of Judy and Bob Wright with flowers, chocolates and the best carrot cake in the world (baked by Deb). Hopefully we showed this special couple just how much we love them. Happy Anniversary for the 13th October.

Another extra special highlight was out ‘first cars’ café with a 1953 VW coming to our café. Along with the VW, an older visitor came along that day being a 1938 Businessman’s Ford Coupe making this day feel very special indeed.

We have a large male cohort at Koonung so while the ladies disappear to have a yarn, the gents get into some serious action, often involving games and always chocolate, to tempt the participants. Examples include our Grand Final Bingo

won by Maurice, $890,000 FAKE dollars awarded to Bruce for ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ and Dan usually beating anyone who is game enough to play chess with him. Once the ladies come back, we pretend we were behaving ourselves and sing a song or two before heading home.

As I begin planning for our Christmas Café on 7th December and reflect on the year, it’s truly the solid relationships that have formed here that make this cafe extra special.

Café Schedule 2023

January: No cafés

February: Wednesday 1st Feb, (At the One. Church location), Wednesday 22nd Feb

March to December: Meet every 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, 1.30pm – 3.30pm

Cafe of Connections

Box Hill South Neighbourhood House, 49 Kitchener Street, Box Hill South

We always have a laugh at our Café of Connections and excitedly our group has grown over the past couple of months with our new members fitting in perfectly.

Our competitive spirits have come out in force as we have celebrated our footy teams, in particular Bob CW who was thrilled to have the Cats win the AFL Grand Final. We have played many games, with quoits being a favourite as the laughter could be heard miles away, however Bob wasn’t as thrilled when he lost at Connect 4 against Margaret and had to be consoled by Rosemary.

In September we shared memories of all the special men in our lives with lots of photos and heartfelt stories being shared. We also celebrated the Queen and were blown away when one of our newest members Robyn shared her story of being chosen to hand the Queen flowers on a visit to Australia when she was a child, we even enjoyed a reenactment of the presentation of the flowers.

Our brains were tested as we played trivia wearing fancy face masks, we all learnt something new when the answer to the question “Iceland divert roads to avoid disturbing communities of what?” was ELVES! Who would’ve guessed that!

In late October we all had the pleasure of celebrating the Spring Racing Carnival with Cathy leading the charge. All the men paraded about in a fascinator and the women strutted their stuff dancing away to ‘Pretty Woman’ in a gorgeous fashion parade. The most fun was had with our horse race where there was

plenty of cheering and giggling happening while our horses Pharlap, Maykybe Diva, Peter Pan, Rising Fast and Comic Court raced away.

Whilst Pharlap was a natural favourite, Rising Fast (otherwise known as Bob) came up with a ‘come from behind’ win.

At Café of Connections we all share a true bond and the volunteers make the café

the warm and welcoming environment that it is.

Café Schedule 2023

January: No cafés

February: Wednesday 1st Feb, (At the One. Church location) Tuesday 28th Feb March – December: Meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday each month, 10am – 12 noon

Friendship Café

Seawinds Community Hub, 11a Allambi Ave, Capel Sounds

Friendships certainly are fostered at our aptly named Friendship Café here in Capel Sound. It is lovely to see the warmth and empathy shared between us all.

As individuals living with dementia and their carers well know, not all times between our catchups are as easy as we would like them to be. Experiencing frustration is inevitable. But the bonds formed at our cafés are always there to assist. I see so much support and encouragement each time we meet, and I am confident that members leave our cafes with a little more positivity for the weeks ahead. We have had some fantastic cafés throughout the cold winter months to brighten up our days. Several have featured

Vale

Vale June Morgan

local groups to entertain us with their amazing talents. Visits from The Southern Peninsula Choir and the ukulele group SPukes, demonstrate the wonderful community spirit and social connections here on the Mornington Peninsula.

Some cafés include challenges we may never have encountered before. The Tangram puzzles, for instance, looked relatively simple at first glance. However, they proved to be quite difficult for most (especially myself when I had to pack them away, only seven pieces per puzzle! Ha Ha!).

Looking ahead, we have much to look forward to doing together. We shall continue to enhance our cafés with music and various hands-on experiences.

But no planned activity will be as important to our individual well-being as simply being there for one another at our Friendship Cafés.

Thank you everyone for the valuable mutual support you provide.

Café Schedule 2023

January: No cafés February: Friday 10th Feb, Thursday 23rd Feb March - December: Every 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, 10am – 12noon

Our dear friend June Morgan passed away in October after suffering through months of declining health. In her last days, she was comforted by her adoring children, daughter Kerryn and son Jamie. June was a quiet soul in our café but always found the most consoling and supporting words to put anybody’s worries to rest. She was kind, loving and admired by so many of us who witnessed her resolute care for her husband John, who sadly passed away with dementia earlier this year. Her smile was infectious and her creative talent was admired enormously. We will never forget the beautiful and joyful painting she presented to John Rogers at his book launch last year. We offer our deepest condolences to June’s family and friends.

Navigator Café – Sorrento Community Centre

860, Melbourne Road, Sorrento

The ‘crew’ at the Navigator Café in Sorrento really are a dynamic and enthusiastic group. Small in numbers, but oh so large in personalities. Our activities certainly vary. From the more serious topics where we learn more, (e.g. our June café devoted to NAIDOC), to simply participating in activities purely for the fun and frivolity of it (e.g. our August café celebrating birthdays). Our members eagerly participate in all cafés tailored for them.

At so many cafés, the fun develops and grows throughout the two hours together.

Thanks to our gorgeous volunteers, our High Tea café started off with appropriate flair, sipping our tea with grace and dignity.

We had a beautiful array of fine china and lace tablecloths to set the scene and many members dressed up for the occasion. But before long, the fun and loud laughs started as we competed against one another in the Guess the Teabag game.

During the winter months, we also completed signage for our café. A local indigenous lady, Auntie Dawn, created a dot image of our emblem and we each added a handprint to the canvas.

It’s a unique and most appropriate way to display what our café membership is all about… showing hands of different colours, sizes and backgrounds together.

Rose at High Tea

This sign now sits proudly for all to see in the room we use at The Sorrento Community Hub.

Throughout Spring, we have a varied program to look forward to. Of course, we’ll have activities relating to Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival.

But we shall also have a hands-on art activity with one of our members demonstrating pottery, as well as several music performances to brighten our weeks.

Our Christmas Party on the 15th December will mark our

one-year anniversary meeting face-to-face so we will definitely celebrate our wonderful Navigator Café in style!

Thank you so much everyone for making our mornings together so happy, fulfilling, and inclusive.

Café Schedule 2023

January: No café

February: Friday 3rd Feb, Thursday 16th Feb

March – December: Every 1st and 3rd Thursday each month, 10am – 12 noon

We enjoy a strong partnership with Sorrento Community Centre. Together we are proactive to create a healthier, connected and vibrant community in Sorrento.

Thank you Bec!

As many of you know, Bec has worked part time with the Melbourne Central Basketball Association since April.

As you can imagine, it didn’t take long before the executives of the association recognised Bec’s excellent management skills and offered her a very attractive position.

As a result, Bec stepped back in her role as Operations Manager in November but continues her role as our Finance Manager.

I’ve known Bec for 10 years as a close friend and confidant, and have had the privilege of watching her gain momentum

2023 Café Fee Schedule

The roll out of the Café Attendance Fee and Volunteer Membership Fee in March 2022 was highly successful, so we are continuing this in 2023 with no changes.

As a result, we now have consistent café groups, robust cafe programs, and well-designed carers support programs which are both responsive and meaningful. Also, our volunteers are better supported, are building stronger connections and have a enhanced understanding of the wellbeing and interests of every café member.

A massive high five to Bec who implemented this positive change!

professionally and personally, so I couldn’t be happier for her and her family as she takes these next steps in an industry she is passionate about and loves so much.

Bec has been instrumental in the foundational success of the Umbrella Dementia Cafés. Without her passion, dedication and commitment to each and

“I will miss you all.”

every café group, we wouldn’t be the thriving charity we are today. Bec, I think I speak for us all when I say, we will miss you enormously in the cafes and wish you many ‘slam dunks’ and successes in your new role.

Café Attendance Fee *

$200 Annual Payment

$100 Bi-annual Payment

There are three payment options;

Option 1: Annual upfront payment of $200 per person totalling $400 per couple (preferred option).

Option 2: Bi-annual upfront payment $100 per person and $200 per couple paid in February and July.

Option 3: Through your Home Care Package. Please noteyou must inform your Provider and supply us with their details so we can send them the invoice.

For Options 1 &2, an invoice will be emailed to you with payment instructions.

Payment secures your place at the café. We have waiting lists for each café and require commitment from our members.

A prorate refund is given if you want to terminate your membership in writing. Refunds will only be given for cafés yet to occur. Credit will not be given if you don’t turn up to a café.

*If there is any issue with the attendance fee please contact Kirsty Porter. We want to make sure everyone can attend.

What’s Been Happening

Chiltern Demo Dementia Café

Chiltern is on the map friends! The village heartbeat is very strong here.

In August, we successfully demonstrated an Umbrella Dementia Café at the lovely Chiltern Neighbourhood House! Thank you to Maree, Zoe and Kate for making this joyful afternoon happen! Together we shared our stories, bonded over similar experiences, named the café and finished with a very passionate rendition of Neil Diamonds ‘Sweet Caroline’. A marvellous way to finish a Tuesday afternoon.

Public Speaking Tour

Lyn, who has lived experience caring for her husband with dementia, and our CEO Kirsty Porter meet with the Combined Probus Club of Monash Central in August.

We shared our journey with this lovely group about why we started our charity, how we are growing and how we are moving forward bringing hope, connection and a better quality of life for people living with dementia.

It was a terrific morning, meeting everyone. We were humbled by their support and their courage to tackle some really personal questions.

If your community group would like to hear our story, please get in touch by emailing Kirsty at kirsty@umbrelladementiacafes.

We are seeking some local funding in the Beechworth area to start in 2023, so please get in touch if you can help.

This café will be our first co-design café and so we will keep you all posted on all its progress!

Golden Wattle Club, Glenorchy Tasmania.

Agnes Frith, President and Founder of the Golden Wattle dementia café connected with us earlier this year and visited the Koonung Café in July to better understand how other dementia cafés compare.

New Café in Diamond Creek

We were delighted to host a demonstration dementia café at the Diamond Creek Baptist Church on the 10th November to help this community set in motion their own dementia café.

Our CEO Kirsty met with the two lead volunteers Heather Dunning, Judy Toy and 20 other volunteers who were very enthusiastic to support their own dementia café. We are look forward to including their volunteers in our 2023 Volunteer & Support Program. Check out our Facebook page to see what happened on the day!

Wonderfully, we discovered an opportunity to collaborate and extend our support, through our philanthropic partners to help Agnes fund some essential operational costs, such as room hire and resources for their café programs. This allowed Agnes and her team to focus on building more cafés and support more people living with dementia in Tasmania. To help, we also designed and printed 500 brochures for them to distribute to their local community. Congratulations Golden Wattle Club for all that you’ve achieved this past 2 years supporting couples living with dementia.

Get social with us

The Care & Share Program

A PEER-TO-PEER CARERS SUPPORT PROGRAM

The Care & Share Program is an optional program which has been designed to support our member cares supporting their spouse or parent experiencing dementia. It’s a supportive, confidential and discreet peer-to-peer group conversation about the realities of being a carer.

Welcome Bronwyn

We are delighted to welcome Bronwyn to the team!

With a background in teaching, curriculum development and counselling, Bronwyn will help consolidate, formalise and provide a consistent Care & Share Program structure across all five cafés.

Care & Share is a facilitated peer-to-peer support group by a person who is, or has been, a carer for a family member living with dementia. The facilitator will gently encourage each member to share practical ideas, solutions, local services and build supportive pathways through the caring journey together.

The Care & Share program occurs during each café for 30 to 45 minutes while partners living with dementia are safely supported by volunteers and the café coordinator in the adjoining room.

Covid Update

As the numbers start to steadily climb again, the Victorian Department of Health have issued recommendations to wear a mask while in large crowds this Spring / Summer. We will continue to follow the DoH directive and therefore encourage everyone to get your COVID-19 vaccination booster, keep safe by staying socially distancing, use the hand

Care & Share’s Guiding Principles

We Invite Thoughts, experiences and feelings

We Choose To participate equally and considerately

We Listen With respect and kindness

We Support Open heartedly and without advice

We Respect Our differences and new ideas

We Share Our stories and keep others confidential

“I cared for my mother, who was living with dementia, full-time in her home until she passed away in 2021. I certainly have first-hand experience of being a carer and after completing courses in Dementia, feel well equipped to understand the needs of those undertaking a caring role.

I attended the Umbrella Café Blackburn with my mother for many years and really enjoyed and needed the Care & Share Program. This program helped me retain my sanity, gave me a supportive place to unload surrounded by people living a similar experience. I found it invaluable and now, to be able to create a consistent program, a safe space for all carers is a joy.

sanitisers before entering the café room and wear a mask when appropriate. It continues to be our policy that all Café Coordinator and managers have a negative COVID-19 RAT before attending each café. Volunteers are expected to regularly self-test.

Thank you everyone for working together to keep everyone safe.

Umbrella Dementia Cafés is now armed with a suite of principles, procedures, roles and guidelines which will be used in all upcoming cafés and later developed into an asset for other cafés throughout Australia.”

Volunteer Team Building and Support

Our 37 volunteers across our five cafés are the true heroes and heart of Umbrella Dementia Cafés. This year our volunteers donated over 3200 hours to our cafés and embodied everything Umbrella Dementia Cafés believe in. Thank you so much to all our volunteers who continue to give so much of themselves every week!

Earlier this year, we invited volunteers to complete a survey asking what they wanted for their café, why they volunteer and what is most important to them. The results were quite beautiful and humbling.

Overall our volunteers felt appreciated and loved meeting new friends, with 84% saying volunteering held a personal value to them.

Overwhelmingly, 89% wanted to learn how to better communicate with people living with dementia and wanted to learn from other café volunteer teams. Most impressively, 95% of volunteers are interested in a personalised & independent UDC volunteer support program.

Our friends at Rotary Club of Box Hill Central and Blackburn South Community Bank (Bendigo Bank) were only too happy to step in and help us create this program!

Kirsty will be joined by experts in this field to deliver this wonderful new program in February 2023. It is designed to be a fun, bonding and uplifting series of workshops specially designed for volunteers at our dementia cafes.

We understand the massive time commitment to attend these days, so there is no expectation for volunteers to attend their regular cafés in February. We’ll have therefore pared down café programs in February.

PLEASE JOIN US

Volunteers from Blackburn, Koonung and Café of Connections

Dates: Tuesday 7th February & Tuesday 14th February

Time: 9am – 1pm (both days)

Place: One Church, 184 Surrey Road, Blackburn

Includes: Barrels of fun, morning tea and lunch

PLEASE JOIN US

Volunteers from Friendship Café and Navigator Café

Dates: Thursday 2nd February & Thursday 9th February

Time: 9am -1pm (both days)

Where: Seawinds Community Hub, 11a Allambi Ave, Capel Sounds, Rosebud.

Includes: More barrels of fun, morning tea and lunch

Fundraising

In 2022, we welcomed new funding partners Donkey Wheel Foundation, 5Point Foundation, Pressroom Partners and Burwood Brickworks. Our biggest supporter continues to be the Yulgilbar Foundation, to whom we owe a great deal of gratitude, and who continue to be the reason Umbrella Dementia Cafes exists today. It was the encouragement and trust from the late Mr Baillieu Myer who inspired us to extend our support to regional Victoria and other regional community groups who want to build their own dementia café.

Movie Night Fundraiser - ‘Ticket to Paradise’

It was a terrific outcome for our Movie Night Fundraiser at the Balwyn Palace Cinema where forty-four people turned out to watch the fun ‘rom com’, Ticket to Paradise, and enjoyed a great laugh with friends.

Women

of Rye Luncheon raised over $8085!!

The annual Women of Rye Luncheon, hosted by an extraordinary committee of proactive women, was held at the Rosebud Country Club on 26th November, with Kirsty Porter & Sandra Knight (Navigator Café member) as the guest speakers.

Over 150 women turned out to enjoy an afternoon of dancing, eating, raffles, entertainment and lots of laughter. Together they raised over $8085 for our Rosebud and Sorrento Umbrella Dementia Cafés! It was an absolute privileged to be a part of such an incredibly connected community. Thank you so much to the generous (and very fun) Women of Rye!

Together we raised over $550! The raffle was a huge success, so thank you to Fletchers Blackburn and Six Two Pilates & Yoga for their very generous donations!

A special thank you goes to Nicolle Bruhn, our volunteer fundraiser, who managed the whole event.

CONGRATULATIONS

GABRIELLE! Gabi ran 42km at the 2022 Nike Melbourne Marathon, in honour of her beautiful dad John, who lives with dementia in the UK.

Our CEO, Kirsty meet Gabi post-race and saw first-hand the extraordinary physical and mental commitment, sacrifice and dedication she gave for the cause. The money you’ve raised will support the activities and programs in over 105 dementia cafés!!! Simply amazing. On behalf of all our members, volunteers and team at UDC, thank you so much Gabi.

If you would like to host a fundraiser or raise more awareness about dementia in your community, please get in touch – enquiries@ umbrelladementiacafes.com.au

Brain training Gift Boxes

We have had a terrific response from very kind strangers who want to make a real impact to people living with dementia by donating a Brain Training Gift Box. Everyone who received the gift were overwhelmed with gratitude and felt so much love that a stranger would care so much. On behalf of those who received these gifts, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

If you would like to donate a Brain Training Gift Box to a person living at home with dementia, please visit our website. Scanning the QR code will take you directly there.

Help us Create More Wonderful Moments Like These

Smiles, laughter and social interaction - it’s what makes us really live!

With the support of our donors, pledges, bequeaths and sponsors we can create more moments like these by creating more Umbrella Dementia Cafés.

By simply donating, you’re creating more choices, greater connection and more awareness for vulnerable families experiencing dementia.

To make a donation that will not only make a difference to those at new cafes, but the community around it.

You can donate using our bank details below or online. For bank transfers, please include your email in the reference section so we can send a receipt.

Account Name: Umbrella Dementia Cafés Ltd BSB: 633 000 Account No.: 165 263 856

Mail cheque to: PO Box 1236 Blackburn North, VIC 3130

From the bottom of our hearts here at Umbrella Dementia Cafés, thank you for your donation!

Umbrella Dementia Cafés is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not for Profit and Commission, with Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) status. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Donations

Donations are made easy by visiting our donation page on our website

Thank you to our amazing collaborative partners!

We simply couldn’t do it without you.

Awareness

A Visit From Our Local MP

In September, local MP for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie MP was warmly embraced by our beautiful members at the Friendship Café, and was welcomed as if she was one of theirs.

Zoe’s social media posts elevated our charity profile and created more awareness about the importance of socialising while living with dementia. Thank you so much Zoe, you are always welcome back anytime.

Victoria Garden’s Start The Dementia Conversation

Jay & Sue Boag have attended the Umbrella Café since 2019. But many people may not know, but in this time, Jay completed his Bachelors of Dementia Care from the University of Tasmania.

CBA Bank Customers Take A

Vote

Umbrella Dementia Cafés has been selected to participate in the National Community donations program for two CBA branches; Blackburn North and the Carlton Branch!

This program has been designed to bring more awareness to local groundroots charities who are making a difference in their local communities. CBA customers will be given the option to vote between us and another community organisation.

If we receive the higher number of votes, we will receive a $500 donation. So, if you bank at CBA, please visit one of these branches to vote!

Thank you CBA for including us in such a terrific program.

Recently, Jay participated in a dementia awareness day at his Victoria Gardens Retirement Village and gave an impressive and extraordinary speech about his life caring for his beautiful wife Sue.

Thank you Jay for having the courage to speak about your journey and providing mush needed awareness. Jay’s speech raised over $1600 for Umbrella Dementia Cafés!

Dementia Action Week 19 – 25th September 2022

Thank you to the 6 brave people who shared their stories and experiences living with dementia and who allowed us to publish them on our UDC Facebook page.

Christine Smith ( Blackburn), John Weir (Box Hill South), Robyn Weir (Box Hill South), Jay Boag (Blackburn), Leanne Cull (Koonung), Lorna Nash (Beechworth) all contributed to the national campaign to eliminate discrimination and increase understanding about dementia.

Please visit our website to read Leanne’s full heartfelt article about her journey, “The Roads are Unmade and Unmarked.”

The Importance of Language

In collaboration with the Commonwealth Government, Dementia Australia created an excellent guideline to help us use appropriate, inclusive and non-stigmatising language when talking or writing about people living with dementia. At UDC, we are proud to endorse and practice this language as a natural way of creating more awareness, inclusion, greater respect and a sense of belonging for everyone who attends the cafes.

What is appropriate language for talking about dementia and why do we need it?

The words used in speech and in writing can influence others’ mood, self-esteem, and feelings of happiness or depression. A casual misuse of words or the use of words with negative connotations when talking about dementia in everyday conversations can have a profound impact on the person with dementia as well as on their family and friends. It can also influence how others think about dementia and increase the likelihood of a person with dementia experiencing stigma or discrimination.

When talking about dementia

It is important to know that dementia describes a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. It is not one specific disease. Dementia may affect thinking, communication, memory and in some instances behaviour, and/or the ability to perform everyday tasks and in time it will impact on the person’s family, social and working life.

The following terms/phrases are preferred when talking about dementia:

• Dementia

• Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia

• A form of dementia

• A type of dementia

• Symptoms of dementia

The following outdated terms/ phrases should NOT be used:

• Dementing illness

• Demented

• Affliction

• Senile dementia

• Senility

• Going on a journey

When talking about people with dementia

People with dementia are individuals first and their diagnosis should not be regarded or referred to as the defining aspect of their life. The following terms/phrases are preferred when talking about a person with dementia:

• A person/people with dementia

• A person/people living with dementia

• A person/people with a diagnosis of dementia

The following demeaning and derogatory terms/phrases should NOT be used:

• Sufferer

• Victim

• Demented person

• Dementing illness

• Dements

• Afflicted

• Offenders, absconders or perpetrators

• Patient (when used outside the medical context)

• Subject

• Vacant dement

• He/she’s fading away or disappearing

• Empty shell

• Not all there

• Losing him/her or someone who has lost their mind

• He/she’s an attention seeker

• Inmates (referring to people with dementia in care facilities)

• An onion with the layers peeling away.

Slang expressions that are derogatory, for example, delightfully dotty, away with the fairies, got a kangaroo loose in the back paddock, a couple of cents short

• ‘They’ (talking about all people with dementia rather than the individual)

Don’t be afraid to ask

Individuals and families will express their experiences of dementia in ways that has meaning and significance to them.

Not everyone will wish to have their experiences with dementia described in the same way. Where possible, ask that person directly.

We can respect the dignity of each individual by respecting that person’s wishes regarding use or non-use of certain terms relating to dementia.

More Information

Dementia Australia have also published helpful guidelines about appropriate language when talking about the symptoms of dementia, the impacts of dementia, about a carer, family member or friend of a person with dementia.

To find out more visit dementia.org.au or google ‘dementia-language-guidelines’. Alternatively, please email our friendly CEO, Kirsty Porter (kirsty@umbrelladementiacafes. com.au) who’ll be happy to forward you the guidelines.

Quick National Help Numbers

Service Contact Description

National Dementia Help Line

Federally funded and operated by Dementia Australia

1800 100 500

www.dementia.org.au Mon – Fri 8am – 8pm Leave a message, they’ll call you back

The National Dementia Helpline is a free confidential phone and email information and support service which provides:

• Information about dementia and memory loss.

• Information on how you may be able to reduce the risk of getting dementia.

• Information about government support services &services local to you.

• Emotional support to help you manage the impactof dementia.

Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service

Federally funded and operated by Hammond Care

Carers Support Victoria

State funded

1800 699 799

Available 24/7 www.dementia.com.au

Clinical support for people caring for someone with dementia who is demonstrating behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), which are impacting on their care. Their role includes education, assessment and short-term case management, clinical supervision and monitoring, and modelling of behavioural management techniques.

1800 242 636

Available 24/7 www.carersvictoria.org.au

Carers Victoria is the state-wide voice for family carers, representing and providing support to carers in Victoria. Carers Victoria staff will listen and advise you on services available to assist you in your caring role. They can give you information about practical supports, offer advice about navigating systems and refer you to education and counselling sessions.

Lifeline

State & Federally funded

My Aged Care

Federally funded

Carers Gateway

Federally funded

13 11 14

Available 24/7 www.lifeline.org.au

1800 200 422

Mon-Fri: 8am - 8pm Sat: 10am - 2pm www.myagedcare.gov.au

1800 422 737

Mon- Fri: 8am - 5pm www.carergateway.gov.au

Lifeline is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis and suicide prevention services. (The statistics for suicidal & homicidal thoughts are very high for people in a caring role).

My Aged Care is the government agency to receive federally funded aged care packages. You must register with My Aged Care before you are eligible to receive aged care benefits.

Provides phone counselling, an online peer support community forum, online skills courses and free publications, carer support planning, carer directed packages, emergency respite care, in person peer support, counselling and carer coaching.

Empowering People with Dementia

enquiries@umbrelladementiacafes.com.au umbrelladementiacafes.com.au • 0401 364 696