Knowledgeable Aging

Resources for the Aging Population

How I Became a Dementia Campaigner

My family’s experiences of caring for mum when she developed dementia – the never-ending grief, the resentment, frustration, anger and guilt – are shared by millions of others throughout the world whose lives have been touched and impacted by this most feared and misunderstood of conditions.  I’m a journalist, a writer, a storyteller, and in telling my tale to a wider public I quickly discovered that it resonated with others.  I made connections; I gained a little influence; I made a bit of a difference.  I’d become, without realising it, a dementia campaigner.

Earlier this year, during our first lockdown in the UK, I launched my podcast series, Well I Know Now. My guests are people affected by the condition in various ways, whether they live with the condition themselves, care for someone who does, are health or social care professionals or artists, actors, poets, musicians, or social entrepreneurs in the dementia sector. We chat about what their dementia experiences have taught them about life, about themselves, about anything and everything.  They have all taught me so much.

Listen to the Podcast

  • 0:47 – How I became a dementia campaigner
  • 13:15 – What I learned from my podcast guests
  • 17:41 – The power of music to connect with those with dementia
  • 23:02 – Guilt and regret as a family caregiver
  • 24:40 – Questions I get asked most
  • 29:45 – What to do if I have concerns of family member
Pippa Kelly

PIPPA KELLY is one of the UK’s foremost writers on dementia.  An award-winning blogger and journalist, she hosts the weekly dementia podcast Well I Know Now and speaks regularly on elderly care and dementia.  Her haunting novel, Invisible Ink, which has a small but significant dementia thread based on her late mother, was published in 2016.  You can read her blog https://pippakelly.co.uk/, listen to her podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/well-i-know-now/id1513600445

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