Meet Dementia Advocate Jan Catling

The following contribution was written by Dementia Advocate Jan Catling:

Like many other people, my life has been impacted by dementia. My husband of 60 years, Roy, passed away in February 2022 after losing a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

During my career I worked for Lifeline in many different roles including counsellor and training officer. This was a role that I truly enjoyed. It gave me the tools and skills that have lasted a lifetime and have been a valuable asset in recent years as an Advocate for Dementia Australia.  

While caring for Roy, I found the assistance of our local support group, run by Dementia Australia in Forster New South Wales, to be invaluable.

The help and support I received made me want to give something back.

It was through the Consumer Engagement team reaching out to me that I became an Advocate for Dementia Australia.  

For me, being a Dementia Advocate is a way to keep my husband's voice, and the challenges he faced, alive. Everyone's experiences with this illness varies. It is important we remind everyone what was important to us during this journey.

Knowing the heartache those who are affected by Dementia feel on a daily basis has inspired me to help make Forster and surrounding areas Dementia-Friendly Communities.

Sadly, dementia still does carry a stigma in communities, businesses and, at times, among some family and friends.  

For the last 18 months I have been sharing my knowledge and experiences with a growing group of people who care for their loved ones living at home with dementia. The simple gesture of catching up and having coffee at a local club is helping so much. It is amazing what the power of chatting and understanding each other’s challenges does for your soul.

Along with the many complexities of dementia, it is not uncommon for both the carer and the person with dementia to become isolated.  

Often becoming cut off from friends, colleagues, neighbours, even excluded from social events, functions etc. many people are left to navigate a frightening future alone.  

Dementia is still such a great unknown. Those who have never been exposed to dementia, and its wide range of behavioral and physical attributes, could be nervous to say the least. I believe the behaviour of others is more about the fear of the unknown. Education and many discussions need to occur before a positive attitude and optimistic outlook will occur.

My personal, lived experience, and the connections I have made with like-minded people navigating the sometimes scary road of dementia, has driven me to do what I can to close the gap.

I am someone who is rarely idle, so it has been a real passion of mine to help make Forster a Dementia-Friendly Community.

In recent months I have enjoyed travelling around the mid-north coast with others to discuss the benefits of Dementia-Friendly Alliances and Communities.

I will be overjoyed to see businesses, clubs, cafes, local beaches and parks, pledging to be dementia-friendly!

Many hands make light work 🙂
 

Pictured above: Jan Catling speaking to Channel 7 Mid-North Coast