- Figuring out the healthcare system and accessing care for your loved one with dementia, can sometimes feel like you're being dropped into a maze without a map. You're trying to understand myGov, Carer Gateway, Residential Care, Geriatricians, and GPs, who all speak a language you quickly need to become fluent in. Hi, I'm Jim Rogers and this is Hold the Moment. This is Australia's only podcast just about dementia. It is brilliant, so listen to it. It really helps.
If you are feeling lost, you're not alone. And there are things you can do to try and streamline and simplify your caring responsibilities. We have a full episode available for you, which helps you navigate the healthcare system. And in this bonus episode, there's more help from Kristen. An advisor on the National Dementia Helpline. - I'm Kristen. When you reach out to the Helpline, you'll connect to an advisor like me on the telephone by web chat, or email.
- Advisors like Kristen are available 24 hours a day. Every day of the year. And they have all kinds of tips and resources to help you through the maze. - One of the things you might find in your role as a carer, is that there are so many things that need to be done. If you're starting to feel that bubble of overwhelm. We can talk to you about prioritising what sorts of things might be helpful first, and what can wait for a little bit.
Sometimes, the complexity of the medical system feels like too much to do alone. Sometimes, it's just helpful to give us a call and practise saying what you're going to say at your next appointment to get across the points you're hoping to get across. One of the things that carers and family members of people living with dementia, mention. Is that they need to tell their story or their loved-one's story over and over to different support systems or medical professionals.
Some carers find it helpful to write out a timeline or a story, so that when they're telling it over again, they don't have to worry about missing a piece. One tip that people also find helpful is asking for the support person or the medical professional to write out what they've talked about in the session, and the next steps to take. One of the times that you might reach out for support, is when you're considering residential care for your loved one who's living with dementia.
If you're interested, we offer a workshop specifically called "Considering Residential Care" So that carers can talk about and consider what sorts of questions they might want to ask and what sorts of things are important to them and their loved one when they're looking at care options. You might be feeling all sorts of different things when you're considering the next step. One of the things that you might be feeling is 'guilt'. Or that somehow you failed your loved one.
You might find that it is unrealistic to look after yourself and someone else, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. As that happens, you might want to talk through your feelings as you support your loved one as they move into residential care. And you navigate the new role that you have in their lives. Sometimes, carers aren't quite sure who to call. If you're looking for something like care-at-home. Are you supposed to reach out to 'My Aged Care'?
Are you supposed to reach out to 'Care Gateway'? If you're ever confused about which organisation might be providing the support that's most helpful to you, you can give us a call on the National Dementia Helpline and we can help talk that through with you. - If you want to talk more about anything you've heard on this episode, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. The free Helpline is available 24 hours a day. Every day of the year.
Make sure you don't miss an episode of Hold the Moment. This series is designed to help you look after your loved one with dementia, whether it's balancing work, coming to terms with the relationships changing, or just dealing with burnout. And there's plenty more episodes of Hold The Moments podcast available right now, either in your favourite podcast app or on the Dementia Australia website.