I never imagined writing a blog post from my sickbed, but here I am. About a week ago, I was in a car crash. It wasn’t my fault, but I ended up with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Thankfully, I'm on the mend, but this whole experience made me realise how important it is for hospitals to recognise and properly support patients with dementia—not just treat their injuries. You see, I've got young-onset dementia. I told the hospital staff about it as soon as I was admitted. In

Sorry to bore you, but I've got a bit of "spring fever" at the moment, so I want to reinforce my message about the benefits of being outdoors with a few musings about the benefits of walking and independence. I’ll tell you straight, when you get that diagnosis, especially when you’re still on the younger side, your first instinct is to bolt the door, put the kettle on, and stay right where it’s safe. It feels like the world’s shrunk to the size of a thimble overnight, like th

Life doesn’t always go the way you planned it, does it? One minute you’re mapping out the future, thinking about the next job, the next project, the next holiday, the next chapter. Then something comes along and flips the table. For me, that moment came with a diagnosis of young-onset dementia. I’ll be honest with you. At first, it felt like the world had suddenly shrunk. The plans I had in my head didn’t just wobble a bit; they fell over completely. There’s a kind of grief t

It’s a funny thing, isn't it? The way the world starts to feel like it is shrinking once you get a diagnosis like young-onset dementia. One day, you're juggling a career, a mortgage, and a hectic social calendar, and the next, you feel like you're being wrapped in bubble wrap by well-meaning relatives. People start looking at you with those "tilted head" expressions, as if you might break if the wind blows too hard. Even so, I have learned that the world doesn't have to shrin

A fog settles over life when the word dementia is whispered. For those of us inside it, the hardest part isn’t always forgetting; it’s how others begin to look at us as if we're already gone. We find it especially hard to get the message across to some of our underserved communities. All we see are the differences. Well, let’s turn that perception on its head, and look at our commonalities - the things we share. First and foremost amongst these in my humble opinion, is our sh

Hello everyone. I’m writing this because sometimes I feel like I’m standing in a very long queue that doesn't seem to move. When you get a diagnosis of dementia, they tell you to "live well," but they don't always give you the map to find the way. This sense of being lost can be overwhelming, especially when you're faced with a condition that affects not just you, but your loved ones and the world around you. I am part of a growing army. This year, 2026, the number of people