An introduction

A message from Sharon Wall
(Director of Ageing by Caring Pty Ltd)

HH the Dalai Lama: This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness

Welcome to my website and thank you so much for coming. This website has been created in an attempt to showcase some of the work that I and others are doing in the areas of ageing and the care and support of people living with dementia. My  intention is that it will develop into much more than that and become a website that you will come back to as we continue to develop it …to stop and rest for while…and to learn and contribute to it in some way.

It will, I hope, become a forum for thoughts and ideas and support for those that are going through diverse journeys and offer resources and opportunities to support that course.

Having working in the aged care industry since 1975 I have had the opportunity to witness many things….much that makes my heart sing and some that simply does not. These two things are equally an impetus for developing this website further and using communication more potently in an attempt to have a true impact.

Essentially I want this website to tell you a little about me and my work and those that I work and interact with; a little bit more about ageing and aged care; and a lot more about how we can contribute to making a difference.

Walking beside older people who contribute and achieve so much (without seeing ageing as a barrier) has made a significant difference to my life and ultimately to my own ageing process.

But even working with people who have an abnormal ageing experience, through the world of dementia has taught me, and continues to teach me so much about life. It is a unique position to be beside people who are undergoing a significant decline in their thinking and functioning. To be able to talk to them about things that happened many years ago, to learn, to listen, to care, to share – even if that person does not remember my name in a second – has provided some wonderful life experiences.

But I must admit it is the people who stand beside them that have taught me almost everything I know about “living” with dementia. I have, with great humility, shared the experiences of wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, partners and friends as they live their journey. It is they who have the knowledge, they who have learnt through the schools of hard knocks with incredible, fortitude and perseverance. They, who have so generously passed on the messages to me, so that I can pass them on to others through the work that I do.

Following a diagnosis of dementia, the path for people living with this illness is often unclear and certainly unchartered; Dealing with the challenges of the initial diagnosis, the shock, the grief, the pain and yet attempting to live life with maximum purpose and meaning. Dementia has often been referred to as the “funeral that never ends” as carers witness the decline of their partner, their mother or father, their loved one or their friend; watching the person they love deteriorate in such a pervasive way and at the same time deal with the grief of loss which has no ending. From these experiences as well as the very personal experiences within my own family, I have learnt much about dementia, humanity, and life.

My purpose now, and one I attempt, with great humility, is to incorporate these lessons and experiences in what I pass on to others, through education, training, mentoring and project management.

I believe increasingly in the power and energy that is created by many minds making a difference…and so this site has been re- designed to be more interactive – so that we can talk and plan side by side and hopefully contribute to that positive difference.