Advocacy body first. Filmmaker second

Get your iPhones, iPads, laptops and desktops ready. Two state branches of Alzheimer’s Australia have just released a series of short films about dementia on YouTube. And the resources are free!

Above: Khmer speaking, Monk Bo Khoeub, during the filming of the new Alzheimer’s Australia NSW DVD, It’s not a disgrace, it’s dementia. In the film, he explains that dementia is not a normal part of ageing, nor is it a mental health disorder and, importantly, is not the result of karma.

By Yasmin Noone

The peak body for people with dementia, their family and carers, Alzheimer’s Australia, has turned to the arts and social media to get its message across, releasing a series of short films on its YouTube channel.

The latest short film to hit the organisation’s channel hails from the NSW branch, targets the culturally and linguistically diverse community, and aims to encourage acceptance of dementia as a medical condition – and not as a normal part of ageing.

The newly released flick, It’s not a disgrace…it’s dementia, is spoken in Khmer for a Cambodian audience and follows on from two previous films of the same name made for Assyrian and Croatian communities in Australia.

The Hon. John Watkins, CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW, said the short films address myths and stigma about dementia and the importance for families to seek support within their local service network.

“If people recognise dementia as a distinct medical condition, they may be more encouraged to seek out advice, assessment and support,” Mr Watkins said.

The films feature carers of people living with dementia giving personal accounts, in their own language, of their experience, along with health professionals who talk about the condition.

The language-specific films are about 15 minutes in length and have English subtitles.

Around 50 hard copies of each film have been given out among the various language-specific communities. Alzheimer’s Australia NSW’s Croatian and Assyrian link workers have also been loaning hard copies out to emergent families who have been encouraged to come forward as a result of seeing the DVDs. The organisation expects to do the same in the Cambodian community.

Film screenings have also been set up for large social groups in the Sydney suburbs of Blacktown and St Johns Park, and the movie has been viewed in Cambodia, North America and across the Middle East via the YouTube channel.

The short movies films were the product of Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA) and NSW Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) assistance, produced in partnership with Why Documentaries and the Multicultural Communities Council of the Illawarra.

Today, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic also released its own film, Dementia: Taking the Next Step, on the YouTube channel.

The Victorian film was developed to provide advice on what to do when a person receives a diagnosis of dementia. Also a new information resource for people living with dementia, their families and carers, the short film details the stories of three families and their experiences.

Alzheimer’s Australia Vic client, Carol Liavis, who cares for her father with dementia, originally came up with the idea for the flick. 

“I felt that with my experience and the experiences of others we could really help people when they first receive a diagnosis,” Ms Liavis said.

“It’s an overwhelming time and knowing where to start asking for help is the most important thing I have learnt on my journey with my father.”

The film, which is available for free online or on DVD, also features medical comments by dementia specialist, Associate Professor Michael Woodward.

He provides an overview of dementia, explains how best to understand what is happening, how to make adjustments to deal with the diagnosis and how to get help.

“A lot of people are quite unsure of what they need to do once a diagnosis has been made and who they can talk to about it,” Assoc Prof Woodward said.

“After the diagnosis from a doctor we encourage people who have been diagnosed, or their family members and friends, to contact Alzheimer’s Australia Vic on 1800 100 500 to discuss what has happened and to find out what services would benefit them.

“What we are trying to achieve with the film is to remind our communities that there is help out there and they don’t have to deal with their diagnosis, or that of their loved ones, by themselves.”

The films can be found on Alzheimer’s Australia’s YouTube account at www.youtube.com/user/AlzheimersAustralia
 

Tags: alzheimers-australia, assyrian, cambodian, communities-council-of-the-illawarra, croation, dementia, doha, john-watkins, khmer, why-documentaries, youtube,

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