Hold the Moment

When Louise’s husband was diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s disease, she knew the day would come. What she didn’t expect was how hard it would be to find a place that could actually take him. For Susan, the challenge was different. Her Italian-born father rarely spoke about his wartime childhood. But in residential care, something as simple as a uniform could transport him back decades in an...

Moving into residential care is never an easy decision, but it's about finding support, safety and dignity along the way. In our Ask Us Anything episodes, you send us your questions about living with dementia and we’ll answer them as honestly as we can. Nothing is off limits here! We discuss how to navigate daily routines when your loved one stops wanting to shower, and residential care for people...

Tully was only 15 when her mother was diagnosed with young onset dementia. She figured nobody at school would understand. John’s experience has, thankfully, been quite different. He’s 25 now, and cares for his grandmother who lives with dementia. Caring for her has been so rewarding for him that he’s now a professional support worker and studying to be a counsellor. Caring for a loved one living w...

Caring for a parent with dementia in your teens,  20s or 30s brings challenges most people don’t see. In our Ask Us Anything episodes, you send us your questions about living with dementia and we’ll answer them as honestly as we can. Nothing is off limits here! We examine the pressures young carers face and share advice on managing the juggle.   +++   ABOUT THIS EPISODE This ‘Ask Us Anything’ epis...

If dementia alters how you express yourself, what you like, even how your senses work... what does it really mean to still be yourself after a diagnosis? Gwenda’s been living with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia since 2012, and yes, a lot has changed. Her sense of smell is different now. She’s recently moved into a residential aged care community. She lives day-to-day with a progressiv...

As dementia progresses, the way people express themselves can change, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes more dramatically.   In our Ask Us Anything episodes, you send us your questions about living with dementia and we’ll answer them as honestly as we can. Nothing is off limits here!   We offer practical and compassionate strategies for people struggling with evening routines, and for when a ...

Dementia is now Australia's leading cause of death and yet the conversations that matter most are still the hardest to have. Hold the Moment returns for a third season to change that. Co-hosted by Jim Rogers, who is living with young onset Alzheimer's disease, and Hamish Macdonald, a leading journalist who cared for his father through Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson's, the show brings the voices...

When Kath who lives with dementia became confused inside a public toilet, her husband Bob knew something had to change.  What started as one small fix in the tiny coastal town of Tumby Bay, South Australia, soon grew into action by the local council — and sparked a ripple effect reaching communities far beyond their town.  No one can make big changes on their own. Dementia Australia’s National Man...

So much changes when someone you love is diagnosed with dementia and often the most difficult adjustment can be coming to terms with how it affects your relationship.  You might still be parent-and-child, romantic partners, siblings, but you’ll also have to step into a new role entirely as a carer.   For Col, this feels like ‘taking his turn’. His wife Shirley took on much of the caring work when...

It’s tough watching someone you love change, especially when it starts to shift the way you relate to each other. As a carer, your role evolves in ways you may not have expected, which can make things feel uncertain. This episode has tips and ideas to help you maintain your connection.  If you’d like personalised advice on how to reconnect or just smooth any tensions as your relationship changes,...

Caring for others often means putting your own needs on the back burner but you can’t give your best if you're running on empty. Self-care is crucial to avoid burnout and stay healthy.  This episode has tips to help you find time for yourself while in the chaos of caring.  If you’d like personalised support, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. You can call 24 hours a da...

Vicki’s pain wasn’t going away and she couldn’t figure out why. She was healthy, ate well, exercised regularly...but the pain just wouldn’t let up, even keeping her from sleeping sometimes. Finally, she realised it might be the culmination of years of stress. She’d cared for her husband, Michael, for over a decade and he’d only just transitioned into permanent residential care.  For the first time...

Managing paid work and caring for your loved one with dementia is a delicate juggling act, with many balls in the air at a time. While it’s tricky to keep from dropping any, it doesn’t always have to be an either/or decision between caregiving and your career. This episode will give you practical strategies for approaching your employer and finding ways to balance both roles without losing yoursel...

If you’re caring for someone living with dementia, you know it can take just as much work as any formal job... but many carers need to continue paid work while caring. So how do you manage that juggle? Wendy loves her work, especially the intellectual challenges it presents, so didn’t want to give up her career when she took on caring duties for her dad. Instead, she moved to part-time employment...

Caring for someone with dementia means you’re constantly learning—how to navigate healthcare, manage family dynamics and balance work with caregiving. You quickly become an expert in so many areas, often without realising it.  But how do you share that wisdom with others? And what happens to all that knowledge once your loved one passes?  Sharing your experiences with other carers can be incredibl...

Caring for someone living with dementia requires you to learn so much so quickly. From navigating a complex healthcare system, to managing family dynamics, to balancing caring duties with paid work – you’ll have to become an expert in a lot of areas very fast.   But what do you do with all that knowledge after the person you cared for passes away?   Miriam’s mum lived with dementia and, in her com...

People often think of grief as sadness felt when a loved one passes away. But grief can surface at many stages of caring for someone living with dementia, often in ways that you don’t expect.   There are ways to care for yourself, find comfort and reconnect with what brings you happiness. This episode offers simple, practical ways to process those emotions while still embracing joy, connection and...

Jenny started grieving well before her husband passed away.   After Noel was diagnosed with dementia, Jenny knew their life together would never be the same. But the grief she felt about that gave her strength and purpose too...  Grief will be a major part of your journey if you’re caring for someone living with dementia. You might grieve the relationship you had before their diagnosis and you mig...

Navigating the healthcare system on behalf of someone living with dementia can be challenging, especially when the different systems you’re engaging with don’t speak to each other. This episode offers simple tips to streamline the process.   If you’d like personalised support on how to approach appointments or figure out the health care systems, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 18...

Nick’s in a pretty unique position as a carer.   “I can’t fix the problem with my mum but as an engineer, I can problem-solve. I can advocate for her and give her a voice when she can’t navigate the system,” Nick said.  As an engineer, Nick’s used to untangling complex systems. He’s about as tech-savvy as they come but even he found it frustrating trying to access support for his mum, who’s living...

Whether you're new to caring or have been supporting someone with dementia for a while, it’s not always clear where to turn to for help. Every carer’s path is different, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. This episode offers straightforward advice on where to get help, what support services are available and why it’s never too early to reach out. If you’d like tailored support, you can con...

Rachel Corbett couldn’t afford to put her life on hold, even when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She was in her 20s, her career wasn’t established and she wanted to have kids, so spent the next few years looking after her mum while juggling everything else in life. Then her dad was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. Rachel would go on to spend her 30s supporting and caring for...

"As carers of people living with dementia, we all have a public face and a private face." When someone you love is diagnosed with dementia there’s a lot you take on – physically, mentally and emotionally. So how do you even start to process all these changes? On Hold the Moment, you’re not alone. Join Jim, who was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s, and his co-host Hamish Macdonald, whose da...

Over the last few months, the Hold the Moment team has been hard at work... Your response to our first season was incredible, and luckily you won’t have to wait long for more episodes. Hamish and Jim are back for a quick announcement.  +++  Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios and hosted by Jim Rogers and Hamish Macdonald. Follow Dementia Australia on I...

A dementia diagnosis has a ripple effect across families. So where can you turn for information and support?  This bonus episode is packed with tips for families who want to know more about how to support themselves and a family member living with dementia.  Whether you live close to your loved one or further afield, Dementia Australia has many helpful resources and programs specially tailored to...