Meet the Advocate – Bill Leane

The following contribution was written by Dementia Advocate Bill Leane:

My name is Bill Leane, I am 72 years old. I was born and raised in Queensland and graduated as an agricultural economist in 1977. Ag Economics proved to be a good career choice as the wider field of economic analysis turned towards managing risk / uncertainty, and its consequences. In my career, I worked in international aid and business for the private sector, government agencies and charities.  

I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, an inner ear disorder that causes vertigo, dizziness and balance problems, in my early 40s and have managed a work/life balance in pursuing a career with a mild hearing disability. 

I live in Canberra with my wife, a now retired natural resources scientist. We have our son who now works and resides in the Gold Coast.  

I have no known family history of dementia. In the early 2000s an event challenged my identity, mental health and approach to life. 

I was filling my car with fuel and engaged a nearby customer in friendly chat. With the tank full, I then proceeded to drive away. Later that evening the police rang, to ask if I was aware of my non-payment for the fuel. I replied that I was not aware of my breach, but on reflection agreed that I had not paid for my purchase. The police advised that they would be satisfied if I paid the outstanding sum and agreed to undertake a professional mental health test and present a receipt for this mental health test service for police scrutiny.  

Professionals interpreting the test results noted no significant acute finding of problems. The advice was to submit to regular tests in the future to monitor against this now established baseline. Eventually, results detected a progression diagnosed as younger onset Alzheimer’s disease. 

After sharing this news with family and friends, I reached out to Dementia Australia for support. I have been very satisfied with the services provided. I advised Dementia Australia of my willingness to assist and accepted an offer to contribute as an Advocate.  

It is my experience that most people with lived experience feel a strong need to tell their story, to explain their circumstances and to relate their experience for the benefit of others. Most agencies and carers recognise this need and prioritise the sharing of stories in client onboarding. This helps satisfy a latent need to be heard, and the information shared can be of great use to assist carers, researchers, case managers and partners in advancing their ‘quality of care’ objectives. 

Through the Dementia Advocates Program, Dementia Australia has acknowledged the importance of telling our stories, and has made a large investment in the notion of learning from lived experience, which is very important to me.