Ken Swale became a Dementia Friend after seeing the initiative advertised in 2017 from Charnwood Council staff.
Since becoming a Dementia Friend, Ken has been inspired to help carers avoid stress by making his own leaflet called ‘Ken’s Tips’, which has been created to advise carers on how to handle certain situations.
Ken shares a variety of helpful tips in his leaflet including;
· Let people with dementia help with the laundry, sorting washing, folding clothes. Let them feel useful, build their self-esteem which will be a boost to yours also.
· When showing photograph albums of friends and family try not to say “do you remember” because often they can’t and this can cause distress.
· Try not to correct but go with the flow this will help prevent it from upsetting them and you.
Ken was a full-time carer for his wife of 61 years Dorothy, and cared for her in her last 6 years after being diagnosed with Vascular Dementia.
“I was Dorothy’s full-time carer, helping her to live an active life. We walked every day, weather permitting, to nearby Queens Park. Dot loved watching children play, the flowers, trees and birds. It all helped her to enjoy her day even though she would say “I’ve got dementia you know”. We loved to rock and roll till her last 12months. Then we held hands and sang along to our favourite music. Most days my Dorothy would say “Thank you Ken for looking after me”... That was my reward for being her carer.”
Ken has taken action since becoming a Dementia Friend, after using his own experience as a carer of dementia, to support other carers with easy to access advice.
“I encountered the struggles that await carers trying to get calls to Social Services with outdated websites and telephone calls going unanswered because of staff problems due to the Covid pandemic. Books on dementia and videos are too time consuming for a tired carer to read and TV broadcasts are too long winded.”
After receiving a positive response to ‘Ken’s Tips’, Ken was invited by Chief Prescriber Joanne Talbot to retell the story behind creating these leaflets, at The Alzheimer’s Carers Convention in March 2024. Ken said: “This was really well received by the audience. I am receiving requests to tell my story at local wellbeing and carers groups”
“Today many carers are elderly looking after their partners and they are not aware of the help available to them. The meeting hubs need to be more hands on and not dependent on TV or online. Contact by phone is a must by groups talking to each other and staying in contact with neighbours and friends. These lonely people need help.”
“I am distributing ‘Ken’s Tips’ to groups with carers, churches, premier football clubs with dementia support groups and choirs to name a few. To help carers to be good carers makes me so happy to be appreciated.”
