Published on Friday, 29 November 2024 at 9:05:37 AM
Joined by a dedicated team from UWA—Dr. Kate Smith, Elise Alexander, and Alex Lalovic—Nakita was proud to represent Moorditj Koort and share the vital work we're doing in Indigenous dementia care.
The conference brought together Indigenous peoples from across the globe, including Hawaii, Canada, New Zealand, Samoa, Australia, and more. We had the privilege of hearing moving stories from caregivers who face the daily challenges of caring for loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Their shared experiences highlighted the importance of cultural resilience, community engagement, and breaking the stigma surrounding Alzheimer's Disease.
One of the key highlights was learning about the KICA tool, used across the Thursday Islands, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia to improve cognitive assessments in their communities.
Nakita and Alex also presented their work with the Kwinana/Midland community through the DAMPAA program, focusing on healthy brain activities like walking groups and educational programs, alongside cognitive testing with neuropsychological assessments.
Dr. Kate Smith shared the impactful work of the Good Spirit, Good Life assessment tool, designed to support older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to live fulfilling lives in aged care settings.
We are grateful to have had the chance to connect, learn, and share our journey at this important gathering.
Key Takeaways:
• Understand
• Educate
• It’s not just you
• Blame the Dementia
• The person is no longer in control, the disease is
• Your reactions are to the disease
• They are not trying to give you a hard time, they are having a hard time
• Never argue
• Join their reality
Together, we can create a more supportive world for those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. 🫶
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