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- Proposed dementia village a ’game changer’
Fiona Tranter’s father was 86 years old when she first noticed his symptoms of dementia.
A Korean War veteran, Trevor Brown was living in Melbourne before his diagnosis, and his daughter spotted him becoming more forgetful and anxious with each of her weekly visits.
But it was not until Mr Brown failed to recognise his other daughter’s partner, someone with whom he had been living, that she knew something was seriously wrong.
“He came home and asked the neighbour to call the police,” she said.
“There were signs earlier and you just put it down to old age.”
Mr Brown died in January after a stint in Heathcote Health’s aged care facility. He was 90.
While Ms Tranter praised the work of staff who cared for her father, she said a purpose-built facility in Heathcote would make the experience of dementia more manageable for patients and their loved ones.
“Until you experience it, you don’t understand the pressure, the complexity, the issues that just arrive from having dementia, and the ripple effect for so many people,” Ms Tranter said.
She also said the village would mean people living with dementia could remain social and active.
Her father loved going for a walk, something that became difficult once he was admitted to a nursing home.
“Just walking, it got him seeing other people, it alleviated his anxiety and just gave him something to look at,” Ms Tranter said.
“Something as simple as that made such a huge difference.”
Alzheimers Australia Vic chief executive officer Maree McCabe also welcomed plans for the dementia village, saying the environment in which people with the disorder received care influenced their health.
Ms McCabe also said Heathcote was a fitting location for the facility not just because it was a popular destination for ageing people seeking a tree change, but its close-knit community was dedicated to inclusiveness.
That support could ease the burden of family members like Ms Tranter, with Ms McCabe saying their experience could be isolating too.
But Ms Tranter said she did not feel alone during her father’s illness thanks to the generosity of his carers, people who deserved to work in a state-of-the-art facility like the proposed village.
“It’s not just great for people like Trevor and myself, but it will be great for the staff as well.”