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Not Right In The Head

Not Right In The Head

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A new book due for release next week may resonate with some of our members...

Michelle Wyatt's mum always joked with the family that if she ever developed Alzheimer's like her own mother-Michelle's grandmother-they should put her in a home and throw away the key. When she did ultimately succumb to the disease, the choice to put her in a nursing home became the only option. During the next six years, Michelle, a well-known television producer, visited her mum often while her dad kept a daily vigil in the nursing home. 

What Michelle and her family discovered throughout these challenging times was that allowing themselves to see the funny side of the weird and wonderful things they witnessed while visiting her mum made a difficult journey just that little bit easier. 

This memoir is a light-hearted but moving account of Michelle's experience with her mum's dementia-giving us an insight in how to cope compassionately, effectively and lastingly with a disease that affects almost 400,000 people in Australia alone. 

Michelle Wyatt is a Melbourne-based television producer and her book is released on May 25 through Allen & Unwin

 

Originally posted on .

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Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT commented:

I'm afraid I see nothing funny when I see people with dementia, I see their "antics" as tragic and definitely not something to poke fun at. I was deeply moved by the movie "Still Alice" in which Julianne Moore as Alice suffered from early onset of familial Alzheimers. My heart went out to Alice as she changed from a vibrant woman to a shell of her former self, particularly when she wet herself because she could not remember where the bathroom was in her own home. Early on, Alice made an exit plan by video taping instructions to herself to locate a container of pills and to take them all, but unfortunately, her plan failed when her caregiver arrived at the house. I saw nothing funny when Alice forgot words during her lecture, or when she ended up disorientated during a run around the university campus, nor did I see anything funny as her personality disappeared bit by bit. 

Robyn
Robyn from QLD commented:

Thankfully, my mother is not yet at the stage of needing external care, however, without humour, I think that she might well be. When Mum is Mum, she is incredibly funny and there are times when it is her that diffuses a tense/awkward situation. 

Someone
Someone from NSW commented:

So true! Without humour I wouldn't cope with my husband's admission into care. Even he can see the funny side of some happenings in the facility at times, as he gives me a smirk and a chuckle at the goings on. The staff deserve accolades for their tireless dedication and I try to tend to my husband as much as possible to assist them. I will look forward to reading the book. 

Bob
Bob from NSW commented:

My 85yo mother has dementia and lives with us... Without humour we wouldn't have made it this far...! When someone we know passed away she still asked how they are (often) - we eventually start laughing and tell her "they've been badly burned...they don't mess around at the crematorium"! Can't wait to read this book:-) Was not thrilled with the About Alice movie as they never once approached it with humour... Mary 

HEATHER
HEATHER from NSW commented:

Look forward to getting a copy of this book as my own Mother has dementia, and her mother and aunty also had it. My dad struggles day to day looking after my mother on his own as he lives in NZ while I live in Australia. 

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