We started with the intention of focusing on designing products for late stage dementia, and it remains very much our main priority. But to our surprise we can see from our analytics that many people visit us during the early stages of their own, or a loved ones diagnosis. This discovery reminded us that we've been there too. We know the many, many questions they have and we also know that the information they want can be hard to find so we have started, what will hopefully become, a community page to support these visitors and make them feel welcome.
From our own experience it seemed that Dad's dramatic and life changing diagnosis, for all of us, was followed by a curious lack of information and support, and I know that not much has changed. In hindsight I realise that it's probably for at least 2 reasons. The plain truth is we still know very little about the individual experience of living with dementia. My little 'joke' is that dementia is the last taboo, much like cancer and autism used to be when I was a child. We need to bring the discussion out into the open, and hopefully with the recent high profile announcements of people who have chosen not to hide their diagnosis, we are on the cusp of change.
Secondly, the course of dementia varies from person to person and, most often, doesn't progress swiftly. What seems dramatic for us is simply putting a label on an existing set of symptoms. Dementia is not a disease, it's more of a description of a combination of symptoms that, most often, include memory loss. The most desired outcome of most people is to stay as independent as possible, for as long as possible and, while there are many solutions to help, every journey will be different. That said, there are some simple things that can be done in the early stages that will support independent living for most people and we are proud to include some products to help in our range. Our first is a brilliant Talking Digital Day Clock which is helpful for a wide range of conditions including dementia which comes with a UK plug. Check out our shop for more information.
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