I spent a lovely half an hour chatting with Diana last week. Diana has been married to Malcolm for 30 years, with 4 children between them from previous marriages. Malcolm started struggling with his short-term memory and spatial awareness. ‘At first we didn’t tell anybody, I was scared of people finding out. If we went [...]
We are highlighting and celebrating family carers that have accessed our services. Bruce from Bolton looks after both of his parents. His mum lives with both dementia and more recently, physical disabilities, whilst his Dad is blind. Taking responsibility for them full-time, Bruce was referred to our communication course which helped him to understand [...]
The importance of a diagnosis and timely support Dementia Action Week 2023 is held on 15-21 May and this year, the campaign is focusing on the importance of a diagnosis, encouraging people to ‘Act on Dementia’. Sisters Sue and Gill, alongside their Dad Roy, all cared for their Mum Hettie, who was living with [...]
The importance of Empowered Conversations: “I have been given the space which helps relieve stress just by talking about things” Sarah cares for her husband Steve, who was diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia. Sarah has completed our communications course for family caregivers and has also accessed one-to-one support with our Empowered Carers team. [...]
Christine cares for her husband who has had dementia since 2015, and in the latter years his condition has become worse. Christine, who was put in contact with us through Age UK Salford and Age UK Bolton, has now completed our communications course for family caregivers. Christine said: “It is an absolute privilege [...]
It’s just nice to talk : One-to-one sessions supporting family caregivers Lil Edwards from Bolton cares for her husband, who has been living with dementia for four years. The pair enjoy using local dementia cafes and centres, and Lil began accessing our one-to-one support sessions in June 2022, which are specially tailored for family caregivers. [...]
Malcolm, husband to Marj and dad to Joanne, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021, and the family were referred to Empowered Conversations thanks to our colleagues within the Age UK Salford team. Here, Marj and Joanne tell us about their experience of completing our six week communication course for family carers. Marj said: [...]
“I am now able to cope a lot better and enjoy activities with my parents”, says daughter Years after her parents' diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, Maria Hill was left feeling unsupported and unsure of where to turn to next. She was referred onto our Empowered Conversations course through Age UK Salford and tells us she [...]
Daughter says “the penny has dropped” after joining the Empowered Communication course. With both of her parents receiving a dementia diagnosis, Teresa found herself struggling, especially with her mum who is in a care home and is now losing the ability to communicate. Luckily, she was referred to Empowered Conversations and says that the “penny [...]
The Empowered Connectors programme invites Carers who have been on the Empowered Conversations journey – whether that’s attending our Communication Courses or receiving one-to-one support – to share their experiences to help others who are facing similar situations. Meet Empowered Connector Janet Birkins who cares for her husband Keith who has Alzheimer’s. “My husband [...]