‘The Good, the Bad, and the Brilliant’ - personal stories from people who are touched by dementia

Titled, ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Brilliant’, this project was funded by the Australian Government through the Dementia Community Support Grants Program (Round 4, 2011).

The Good, The Bad and The Brilliant relates the personal experiences of being a carer of, or as a person living with, dementia. The aim is to provide hope, inspiration and tips.

‘I, like so many others, have personal experiences with dementia. We hope the booklet will also help raise awareness about dementia and reduce the stigma of people who live with it,’ Resthaven Chief Executive Officer, Richard Hearn, said today.

‘We are delighted that both Sue Pieters-Hawke and the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia, Glenn Rees, have agreed to speak at the launch, along with Kate Swaffer, an activist and advocate who lives with dementia.’

‘Most people know that this is a cause close to Sue Pieters-Hawke’s heart, as her mother, Hazel Hawke, has Alzheimer’s disease. She also has a personal connection to Resthaven, as her grandfather, the Rev Clem Hawke, resided at Resthaven Malvern in the mid 1980s, during the time of Bob Hawke’s Prime Ministership.’

Sue says, ‘Like so many Australians, I have been closely touched by dementia, and as I read the personal stories in The Good, The Bad and The Brilliant, there were many things that resonated with my experience.’

Glenn Rees has been CEO of Alzheimer's Australia since 2000, during which time dementia was made a National Health Priority.  Glenn says, ‘Supporting people with dementia and their families to tell their stories  is perhaps the most effective way of achieving community understanding for people with dementia - and the new publication the Good, the Bad and the Brilliant does that well.’

Many of the participants involved in the booklet will be at the launch, and all will receive a complimentary copy. This and other publications are available for free download from the Publications page of the Resthaven website, www.resthaven.asn.au

Resthaven is a leading South Australian provider of fully accredited aged care services. Resthaven has ten residential care locations and provides in home care and support services for older people living at home throughout metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills, Murraylands, Riverland and the Limestone Coast.

Resthaven employs around 1,700 staff, who are supported by 450 volunteers.

Download a copy of this media release here.
Download a copy The Good, The Bad, The Brilliant here.
Download a copy of Glenn Rees' speech here.