Bethanie Here to Help for Dementia Awareness Month

Bethanie, one of Western Australia’s most well-known not-for-profit aged care and retirement living providers, are leading the way in dementia awareness with numerous free events and seminars throughout Dementia Awareness Month (September).

Bethanie continually aim to raise awareness of what is believed to be one of the most common causes of disability amongst the elderly.

Dementia Awareness Month aims to develop a dementia-friendly nation, and ultimately create communities where people with dementia are supported.

Throughout September, Bethanie will present a number of free seminars across WA from Port Kennedy to Geraldton entitled ‘A Time To Live’. They will provide essential information on the detection and treatment of clients with dementia.

Bethanie Dementia Consultant Michelle Harris will facilitate all seminars and speaks on the importance of raising awareness through these free public forums,“A Time to Live is about promoting awareness that dementia is a unique experience and that everybody is different. Dementia causes change in the pathology of the brain and this is unique for each person because we all have our own DNA, culture and life experience.

It's about understanding dementia, knowing what support is available and looking at it through a different lens so that we can give people hope. At Bethanie we believe there is a life to live, and living with dementia is a time to live.”

Bethanie continue to find new ways to help their dementia clients such as the introduction of a unique concept for residents in the new Bethanie Gwelup Aged Care Facility. Outside every room residents have a personalised ‘memory box’, containing contents from their past.

These memory boxes not only assist dementia residents to identify which room is their own, they provide a gateway of communication amongst both staff and fellow residents, in speaking to the clients about what the possessions represents.

Michelle comments, “Meaningful engagement in communication must go beyond everyday activities such as showering and eating.

It’s about psychosocial and spiritual connection; it’s about being human. The memory box allows us to connect in a meaningful way to each person as an individual.”

At the Bethanie Fields Aged Care Facility, they will look to launch a brand new dementia specific endeavour in September called ‘The Front Door’ project.

The 32 residents within the dementia secure wing will each have a personalized motif stuck to their bedroom door. In an effort to make it more dementia friendly, each door will be personalized with the resident and or their family members assisting to choose a door motif that may be similar for example to a house they lived in whilst growing up.

Michelle comments, “Not only will it assist with orientation but it will also replace the clinical atmosphere to make it a more homely environment.”

To book into a seminar contact 131 151.

Find out more about Bethanie Aged Care.

Free Seminar Details (BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL by calling 13 11 51)

• Tuesday 5th September 2pm – 3.30pm – Bethanie  Beachside Aged Care Facility – Yanchep
• Monday 11th September 4.30pm – 6pm - Bethanie Geraldton Social Centre – Geraldton
• Tuesday 12th September 9.30am – 11am – Geraldton QE2 Centre -­ Geraldton
• Wednesday 13th September 2pm – 4pm – Bethanie Peel Aged Care Facility -­ Mandurah
• Monday 18th September 9.30am – 11am – Rockingham Autumn Centre – Rockingham
• Tuesday 19th September 2pm – 4pm – True North Community Church -­ Merriwa
• Wednesday 20th September 6.30pm – 8pm – Bethanie Gwelup Aged Care Facility -­ Gwelup
• Thursday 21st September 2pm – 4pm – Bethanie Maali Centre – Bunbury
• Wednesday 27th September 10am – 12pm – Darus Wells Library & Resource Centre – Kwinana
• Thursday 28th September 2pm – 4pm – Bethanie Waters Village Clubhouse – Port Kennedy