Being connected
Listening for understanding
December 2023
Communicating is not easy at times, and that's when dementia is not even on the radar.
Disagreements, confusion, clumsy expression are all ways our ability to communicate can be compromised. But communication is a two-way street. It takes more than our own 'words' to be effective. It takes the ability of someone to not only 'hear' the words, but the ability to listen and understand.
Disagreements, confusion, clumsy expression are all ways our ability to communicate can be compromised. But communication is a two-way street. It takes more than our own 'words' to be effective. It takes the ability of someone to not only 'hear' the words, but the ability to listen and understand.
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Read More…Keeping your cool
October 2023
Have you ever found yourself getting frustrated with someone? I have. I became very angry with my father years ago when he was starting to display some forgetfulness. My anger wasn’t directly with him as such, but with what he had said to me. Then there is a friend of mine, with whom I can become quite cross at times.
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Read More…We live in an 'ex-presso' society
June 2023
It seems more and more people want the 'quick fix'.
To coin a term a friend uses, we live in an 'ex-presso' society. For him the term refers to the need for being quick, being fast - fast food, express delivery, self-service at supermarkets, petrol stations, and train stations. It's all about speed, all about lack of attentive service, all so we can speed through our lives, creating more and more stress.
When something is wrong we tend to want the 'quick fix'. No wonder mental health issues and loneliness are on the rise.
To coin a term a friend uses, we live in an 'ex-presso' society. For him the term refers to the need for being quick, being fast - fast food, express delivery, self-service at supermarkets, petrol stations, and train stations. It's all about speed, all about lack of attentive service, all so we can speed through our lives, creating more and more stress.
When something is wrong we tend to want the 'quick fix'. No wonder mental health issues and loneliness are on the rise.
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Read More…Staying Connected
March 2022
As many of you will know dementia is an umbrella term that refers to a number of conditions that can create difficulties with memory, comprehension, orientation and sometimes personality, depending on the area of the brain that is affected.
There are, however, any number of conditions that can cause these difficulties, so it is always important to have a medical check-up if you or someone you know displays any of these symptoms.
If in the event the underlying cause is a form of dementia, then eventually there will be changes in our relationships. For most of us these changes can be difficult to accept. Everything can become very different. And these changes can affect not only close familial and friend relationships, but extend to other relationships, which for many can result in fragmentation of their social network.
There are, however, any number of conditions that can cause these difficulties, so it is always important to have a medical check-up if you or someone you know displays any of these symptoms.
If in the event the underlying cause is a form of dementia, then eventually there will be changes in our relationships. For most of us these changes can be difficult to accept. Everything can become very different. And these changes can affect not only close familial and friend relationships, but extend to other relationships, which for many can result in fragmentation of their social network.
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