Cathy Barrick:
The Alzheimer Society is an organisation that helps people with dementia and their families, and we support research to hopefully someday soon, find the cause and the cure.

Amiruddin G:
We were in our own business of designing restaurants and stuff like that, about three years ago, she was making lots of mistakes in the figures, so I started to think, like, what’s going on? We went to the doctor, found out, like, she had Alzheimer. I stopped doing my business and I’m giving fulltime care to her, so I’m with her all day long.

Bonnie B:
I was an honours student, you know, I was reading when I was four. So when I got hit with that diagnosis, you know, I kind of cried a bit.

Cathy Barrick:
Alzheimer’s disease and dementias affect not just the person with dementia, but their families, communities. So it’s really important to have a society like ours, to provide education and support, guidance, and how families can deal with this disease as it progresses.

Brian P:
What I get concerned about, is how am I going to cope, how am I going to be a good caregiver. Because sometimes she will get very annoyed with me, because she will misunderstand what I’m asking her, and I feel as though, I didn’t mean that, I didn’t mean to upset her, but nevertheless she is upset, and it may get worse over time.

Amiruddin G:
I was kind of shocked and disappointed, because we were planning to have a nice retired life, travelling around and stuff like that, which we could not do right now.

Bonnie B:
I know it’s going to get worse, because it’s something that doesn’t go away. I’m not looking forward to not recognising my husband or my children, and not knowing who I am.

Cathy Barrick:
We provide support groups, counselling, education. We have a First Link program, which helps connect people to us as soon as possible after diagnosis.

Brian P:
The Alzheimer Society has really helped her come to terms with something that everybody recognises is not going to get better, but we’re going to delay the process as long as we possibly can. Let’s keep active, let’s keep doing things, let’s be as normal as possible. And these guys here are really doing such a terrific job, helping us do that.

Cathy Barrick:
Donors make everything that we do possible, so all our programs, our services, our education, and again, the ultimate goal, which is to find the cure.

Federated Health Charities obviously help us raise money, but just as importantly, it helps us raise awareness, so that people across the country know that we’re there to help them, should they need us.

Brian P:
Donate while you can, because you might want to use the Alzheimer Society for somebody in your family.

Bonnie B:
The best I can say to anybody with this diagnosis is, live the best you can. Enjoy the people you love, love the people you love, get creative, get active, do whatever you can to make your brain work. I mean, that’s basically what it’s all about.