Writer, Editor and former dementia carer Christina Collison talks about the new issue of Dementia Help magazine and the people who helped make it possible.
I’m generally not one for emotional displays, but this post is unashamedly sentimental. As the new issue of Dementia Help magazine is about to be published, I have been reflecting on the people who helped make it happen.
I am hugely grateful to the wonderful team at DementiaNet, who have become our first official headline partner. Without their support, you couldn’t read a free magazine packed with essential advice on dementia care. Thank you to Angela Walton, Brian Schur and Hugh McGouran for your unwavering support.
This talented trio has also created their own helpful resource. DementiaNet is a new website that will quickly become an invaluable tool for everyone living with dementia, including those who think they might have it, those already diagnosed, and their carers.
Thank you also to the helpful team at MedicAlert, who have supported Dementia Help magazine from the beginning. MedicAlert offers medical ID to help keep your loved one safe. For more information, visit the MedicAlert website.
I’d also like to thank Dementia Adventure for allowing me to share my story.
Others to thank…
Dave Collison
My husband, who I met a week after my late mum Hazel died with vascular dementia. We met at one of Dave’s gigs. He’s a fantastic Roy Orbison tribute artist. (My mum also loved Roy Orbison). I hadn’t been out in such a long time as life had been all about Mum and her care.
However, after the initial period of shutting myself away when she died, one day, I woke up with a sudden urge to get out of the house. I searched online for ‘Gigs in London’ to find a positive distraction, and a gig listing for Dave’s band appeared. I went along, and the rest is history. It’s funny how we’re destined to meet some people. Dave and I would never have met if Mum had lived a week longer.
Dave is Dementia Help’s website manager and the tech genius in our home office, so I’d be pretty lost without him!
Claire Chamberlain
My long-term friend and a wonderfully talented sub-editor and writer who ensures the copy you read in the mag is concise and appealing. Claire was my deputy editor when I was caring for my mum. She had my back and provided endless support when I frequently had to dash out of the office at short notice after numerous phone calls relating to my mum’s care.
Xavier Robleda
My fantastic art editor who lovingly designed the pages you will read. He’s creatively talented, for sure, but he’s also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. On the day we had to clear my mum’s house so that she could go into a care home, he gave up his precious weekend to come over and help me move her stuff. He could have been spending this time with his two boys, who he adores, but instead, he sacrificed his free time to help an elderly lady he barely knew and her burned-out daughter. What a star.
I’m blessed to have a wonderful team, and I’m very proud of the magazine and the resource we’ve created.
Your feedback is welcome
I hope you find the magazine useful, and I would welcome your feedback. Your views will be heard. I’d also welcome your ideas for topics you’d like us to cover in future issues. And if you’d like to get in touch with me privately, you can email me at christina@dementiahelpuk.com
In the meantime, make sure you sign up to receive the magazine.