Alzheimers Auckland Starts New Blog For Appeal Week

Alzheimers Auckland Starts New Blog For Appeal Week

Robert Turner’ wife Sandie has fronto-temporal dementia – she was diagnosed in her late 50s.

As well as Sandie’s carer, and advocate since she entered care, Robert is a board member of Alzheimers Auckland.

For Appeal Week Robert is blogging about his journey through dementia with Sandie. He starts with the background to their heart wrenching situation and will talk over the coming week about the day to day trials and tribulations of losing the person you love to dementia.

Why have an appeal week for Alzheimers?

Alzheimers Auckland, a charity that offers free services to all people in Auckland affected by dementia, helps to keep people with dementia at home safer and healthier, by supporting the family carers in this very difficult role.

Alzheimers Auckland General Manager Bonnie Robinson says there is an urgent need for more services to help people like Robert and Sandie.

Ms Robinson says the crisis in dementia care is in the community, and that is where an urgent injection of money is most needed.

“Sixty to 70% of people with dementia at any one time are living in the community at home or being cared for by a family member. The crisis of growing dementia numbers is now and it is in the community.

“If we don’t support people in the community we will have a crisis in our A & E departments and admissions, there will be more people asking earlier for entry into day care and respite care,” Ms Robinson says.

Alzheimers Auckland will be working with local DHBs and the Ministry of Health to secure more funding for people with dementia living in the community. In the meantime she is asking for public donations to carry on the work they do.

How can the public help?

This week there will be collectors outside Countdown supermarkets, and the proceeds from the sale of specially marked tea, coffee and lamingtons will go to Alzheimers Auckland.

Individuals and companies can raise money by holding a Cuppa for a Cause. Find out about Cuppa for a Cause on the Alzheimers Auckland website.

Progressive Enterprises is a major supporter of Alzheimers Auckland.

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