Three members of Clear Voices share their thoughts

Hello this is Dementia Diaries this Dementia Foundations Clear Voices group , I was advised to visit my doctor at the end of last year for my memory my doctor put me through reaction tests general knowledge and words it was decided to send me to hospital for further tests. I had these checks every two to three weeks eventually my case came, I had been diagnosed with dementia.
I looked back and thought is this being in a noisy factory most of my life fifty one years or playing football as a defender, heading the ball which is now being investigated …who knows.
I look forward now I am being looked after both at home with my wife and with the two groups I am very lucky to be with, I am with Tibbs foundation two days a week, very different but equally efficient, friendly and knowledgeable all leaders and helpers in all groups deserve a big thank you.

Hello my names John I’m a member of Tibbs dementia foundation , we have various things um within dementia foundations I do something four days every week consistently, my most thing that I like the most is the allotments its been an absolute godsend to me because since I retired and everything that I love, the garden is part of it and um I have one or two anxieties which I am sure I will get over.
And um there’s quite a lot of people everybody in the dementia foundations are understanding of all these problems, and that’s um whereas what I like the most about them they are never judgemental or anything like that and we um I really enjoy coming to every single thing that I come to with clear voices at clear voices and everything else at Tibbs. Thank you very much.

Hello my name is Wendy, um I’m very very lucky to actually be here because some years ago I had a feeling that there was something that isn’t quite right in me and I after a while I went to the doctor and um the doctor said “well I think leave it for another six weeks no six months,” (Wendy laughs) and um so I went back and that time I was more or less normal but the next time is another next, the next next time that I went I was defiantly not and although it was a bit of a shock particularly to my mum and dad and also to me I was very thankful actually, that um cause I was sure there was something wrong with me and so it was a relief to know that actually that somebody knows what it is and what its about so um excited.
Oh um I was I was in um it took about a year to do all the different things they have to do before they decide/ agree that you have got something really um like um like dementia, but I’m so thankful that actually, that it was actually confirmed providing an answer for what was wrong with me.
Anyway um almost straight away I found um the music for memory, which is and that’s been a real blessing for me because I felt needed and I suppose its still something that I can do, which is quite a blessing to be able to sing like that because there is lots of things in my life that I now cant do or I cant do as well as I used to do. Um there is so many things “phew” and I’m not good at remembering all the different things but I just, I just appreciate them so much maybe I wont remember all of the different places that I can go but certainly the memory work’s so, so that’s all.
And and we can feel at home you know when we come here and everybody here really are wonderful people who just want to do their best for us. I think there’s lots of other things I want to say but I don’t think I can think of them. Um I recon that’s it so thank you very much indeed and um if you ever know anybody who needs some help something like me um please go and see a doctor and find out if your OK or whether you need help.
So I think that’s all from me for now and thank you very much everybody.. OK.
(Everyone applauds)