
Bowling & Golf Club. Anyone caring for and anyone living with dementia is invited to go along to the monthly meetings which aim to offer support, information and helpful advice. Pictured are Tess Le Lievre, Wendy Blom with Megan Harrison and Carole Neill from the Dementia Awareness and Support Team in Dubbo, organiser Kara O’Hara, Geoffrey Langford, Vivienne Davis and Susan Goonrey.
Local resident Kara O’Hara, who works with Kirinari human services support in the aged care sector, has started a Dementia Support Group in Cobar.
The group held its first meeting/morning tea on Monday at the Cobar Bowling & Golf Club and Kara has plans for more monthly meetings.
“I’ve seen cases of dementia working in the aged care sector and I’ve noticed people in the community that are diagnosed young or who are potentially living with it, but are unaware.
“I also have a personal connection.
“My nan has been living with dementia,” Kara told The Cobar Weekly.
“Being rural and remote, there’s no services out here. Families don’t know what to do, who to reach out to for help, who to talk to and what services are available.
“People don’t know much about dementia unless they are living with it,” she said.
Megan Harrison and Carole Neill from the NSW Health Dementia Awareness and Support Team in Dubbo were at Monday’s meeting.
Ms Harrison praised Kara for helping to set up the group and for inviting them to go along to find out what help and resources the Cobar community needs.
“We like to get friendship groups going in smaller towns,” Ms Harrison said.
Kara said the Dementia Awareness and Support team has access to geriatricians, dieticians and a range of other health professionals who can make the lives of people with dementia and the lives of their carers better.
Ms Neill said their aim was to ensure people continue to have some joy in their life.
“Because all of us want to have a life and all of us want joy whether we’ve got a chronic illness or not. Our hope is to make life easier,” Ms Neill said.
“Just because you may have a bit of memory loss doesn’t stop you being valuable.
“We want to work out the ‘tricks’ of how we can help to do that.”
The group talked about the importance of supporting carers, creating more awareness and educating the community about the condition, the different needs of each dementia case, local activities that could be arranged to involve the person with dementia and/or their carer, separate activities to support carers and coping strategies.
Kara said she was open to offers of practical help and ideas from the community.