Melvyn has been reading the DEEP newsletter

Hello, it’s Melvyn here. I just got the new DEEP newsletter and I see my big mug’s at the back. I don’t want to talk about myself really but, er … it’s about … Philly being involved, and Damian’s involved, in post-diagnostic support and we’re doing one, we’re doing a similar thing, at Forget-Me-Nots with Dementia Allies, which is for people that have got early diagnosis of dementia. And not every one of these people enjoy going to groups. I never did when I was first told about dementia. But Dementia Allies, they’re our support for those that have been early diagnosed and to give them all the information that they can possibly give, that they will need, and moral support – continued moral support – and so I’m really looking forward to this project with the Forget-Me-Nots.

Also, it was sad to hear about this group who haven’t got a replacement facilitator. So sad to hear about no replacement. They are very important, facilitators. I’m not saying, you know… in my diary, I didn’t actually… I don’t want to run facilitators down because they are so important. We just don’t want the system clogged up with rules. I think some of the diarists were absolutely brilliant and it’s so heartening and so many groups are springing up. Sorry about the pauses but I can’t help it. I was just reading… oh, what to say to carers.

“Carers are very important but do not always understand”. That’s put it quite plainly, really. “Carers are very important but do not always understand”. Sometimes they forget that you’ve got dementia, because that’s how it can be.

But all in all, the diarists are fantastic, DEEP is fantastic, Philly’s fantastic, the two Rach[a]els, they’re really fantastic people. Paul Thomas and all those that work for DEEP, well done.

I want to say thank you to Ann-Marie Norris at the Forget-Me-Nots because this winter she’s really really gave me an incentive. I had a, … I keep talking about “me me me”, but … and I don’t want to talk really. But she really helped me and she’s one fantastic lady, as all Forget-Me-Nots are. Like I said before, and I’ll keep saying it, I haven’t met a nasty person with dementia yet and most facilitators, 99% of the facilitators have been very good. So.