Diary – 6th Form Students

Friday 5th April 2024

Thursday 14th March was a wet early start to my day, as I walked Toby and Sooty up to the beach.

The rain was relentless!

The dogs need there walk so I had no option, but to wrap up and get out!

Tell you something, me and the dogs were soaked by the time we got back in the house!

Not what I needed this morning!

Back home, wet clothes aside, I sit with a cup of tea in my hands, warming my numb fingers from the bitterly cold rain.

I don’t have much time to sit around this morning.

I get changed out of my damp clothes, into something more suitable for the event at the local hospice.

I collect my art work together, which I packed and prepared last night and set off on my travels to the local hospice.

The journey takes around 20 minutes at this time in a morning, what with all the heavy commuter and school traffic around.

As I pull into the carpark, there are plenty of spaces this morning. I manoeuvre into the nearest bay.

Out of the car, it’s brolly in one hand, bag with artwork in the other. Thank goodness I only have a short distance to walk to the Learning and Research Centre, don’t think I could with being soaked through a second time.

At the door I press the bell, I am immediately greeted by a smiling face, just as I try to explain I’m meeting Julie, Julie appears round the corner as if by magic.

We are both taken through to an area, spacious and empty. There are a couple of tables made into stands where we can advertise our information

Admiral Nurses, Dementia UK and also what groups are available in and around the Blackpool area.

The stand also gives me an opportunity to display some of my artwork connected to “How Dementia Makes Me Feel”

The event today will be for 6th form students studying subjects like criminology, sociology and healthcare, giving them all an opportunity to ask questions and also look around the hospice

It wasn’t majorly busy, but it was nice to have some of the students engaging and asking questions.

I never say or advertise the fact, that it is me living with dementia until way into a conversation, then I might just throw in a question like “ do you think there is anyone here today that has dementia?”

I then watch faces change, and listen for the intake of breath, when I say “it is me!”

“I am the person living with dementia!”

The shock on their faces says it all!

There is definitely Not enough education out there in the big wide world!

We need to educate younger people and get them talking about dementia!

One day some of these young students will become our future health care professionals.

We need those young people to make the changes.

We need for a more positive attitude towards dementia.