The key is early intervention of the right kind, and I believe OT brings the all the skills practical and social to the table. In my humble opinion may very well be the magic bullet in Dementia Care.

Fellow travellers on this Dementia journey. I bring praises for a much underappreciated service. Peopled by a unique and inspiring group of practitioners, armed with an array of skills and problem solving techniques, and a usually annoyingly cheerful and challenging disposition. The Mantra of these people would appear to be Skills not Pills, with an emphasis on what remains not what’s gone. Unlike the Medical Model which in my experience tends to highlight what’s missing. These skills and attitudes fits neatly into the Social Model of care concentrated on things like aids to help with activities of daily living and rebuilding social skills . Now match that up with a dogged determination and a relentless cheerfulness which has been my experience Ladies, Gentlemen , Friends fellow travellers I give you Occupational Therapists or as I shall call it from now on OT .

But let me put some context. Following the diagnosis and prior too, the usual things happened I lost my job became isolated and I was subject to lots of sympathy but no encouragement to view my future with positivity.

Like many I became isolated and depressed, I think they may very well have been an unconscious attempted to eat and drink myself to death.

My weight ballooned to about 28st and my blood sugars were off the charts and my mood became dangerously low.

The diagnosis had taken 5 years to be delivered and all the usual things had happened.

Then the Early Onset team found me and three very annoying women came through the door of my house.

They refused to take no for an answer, they colluded with my stepbrother and my friends; they went through my fridge and were relentless with all the fervour of a religious crusade.

Suddenly I began to see through the fog as my health and general wellbeing improved.

And two of these annoying women were part of the OT team of my local heath authority.

They were determined I would make changes in my life, I slowly lost weight my diet improved and my mobility increased (don’t be mislead I would still need to go on a diet to get into the Rolly Pollies) .

My blood sugars dropped and all the strategies given to me began to change my life.

Then I was coerced into joining support group Fuse and Muse

Fuse and Muse remains my bedrock I’m in awe of other members of the group and all the other things I do are in part a result of the affection and support I get from this group.

Sometimes dementia whispers in my ear and says “you are not strong enough to withstand the storm”. One conversation one meeting with the folks in my support group I’m able to say to dementia” I am the storm”.

None of these changes would have happened without, the input from OT, s. There effect has been beyond positive, without being too dramatic this intervention saved my life.

The key is early intervention of the right kind, and I believe OT brings the all the skills practical and social to the table. In my humble opinion may very well be the magic bullet in Dementia Care.

We travellers like a social model of care furthermore we like interventions that build on what’s still there and enhances and supports our independence and individuality OT practitioners do this in spades .

The medical model tends to concentrate on what’s gone.

So why OT services are routinely managed and administered via a clinical team in most instances? Isn’t it time to make Occupational Therapy part of the public health system.

That would get my vote