Homecare

DemTalks

DemTalks, Our Stories, Our Voices, Series One

Created by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and proudly sponsored by Hidden Hearing.

Participants in this episode:

Susan Crampton - committee member of the Dementia Carers Campaign Network.

Susan Crampton lives in Shannon in Co Clare. She was a supporter, carer and advocate for her late mom, Anne, who lived with mixed vascular and Alzheimer's dementia. Susan was caring for her mom from 2010 until Anne’s passing in 2017.

Susan is a committee member of the Dementia Carers Campaign Network (DCCN) supported by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. She has been involved in policy and clinical guideline consultations and focus groups, political advocacy, speaking at events and conferences, and raising awareness of the issues affecting carers of those living with dementia, including using the arts as an innovative way of communicating to an audience outside the dementia community.

Megan O’Connor - makeup artist.

Megan O'Connor lives in County Leitrim and helped to care for her mum, Anne Marie, who was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia in 2017. Anne Marie was in her early 50s when she started showing signs and a few years later she got her diagnosis. Sadly, Anne Marie passed away in February 2022.

Prior to her mum’s illness, Megan had worked to build a following on Instagram through her love for all things creative and makeup, and she also went on to be a contestant on Glow Up Ireland. As Anne Marie’s illness progressed, makeup took more of a back seat over time, but Megan felt it was valuable to use her platform for good and to share about her journey of caring for her mum in the hope that it could help someone in a similar situation.

Adrienne McAvinue - Homecare Coordinator, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

Adrienne joined The Alzheimer Society of Ireland in 2001 and has been working with people living with dementia and their families in different capacities since then.

Currently Adrienne manages the Homecare for South Dublin alongside her colleague Frances Redmond. She also co-facilitates a support group for carers of people with a diagnosis of dementia who are under 65 years old, and Adrienne facilitates two social clubs in South Dublin that bring together people living with dementia and their loved ones in a social environment.

As well as her professional life, Adrienne has personal experience of dementia in her own family, and she feels this gives her the position of insight from both sides, of delivering and also of trying to source services for people living with dementia.

Adrienne says, "I can honestly say that I love my job and as long as I can, I will advocate for people living with dementia and their families."

www.alzheimer.ie

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland Helpline: 1800 341 341

www.hiddenhearing.ie