Young Onset Dementia - Keith Oliver's Story 

So glad to find this recent post! Keep going strong Mr. Oliver! Best regards from Lisbon Portugal. PS What a lovely garden you have!

@@MariaTorres-hc5uq Yes, garden is beautiful, as are flowers in the living room.

@@MariaTorres-hc5uq Thank you Maria. take care

This man is incredibly articulate for someone suffering from Alzheimer's. What would have happened if he had stayed working, even part time, with the support of all the people that obviously love him so much?

My prayers go to you hello from Texas.

Thanks Keith, I was wondering how you are doing today.

Thanks for sharing your story. I wish you all the best. Greetings from Portugal. 😘🙏🌹

More than seven years later and you're doing well. It's a treasure for us to have your input.

So happy your still doing well Keith 😊

This is a brilliant bit of news for others. A beacon of enormous hope in such a scary diagnosis

@Keith Oliver. Thank you for extending yourself into a public light. And for your35 years as an educator. I have daughters that are educators & it is dedicated work. Please be blessed and care for your self.

@@Jalyced22 thank you

I jinxed it :

Thank you. My wife now does more of the clever stuff in the garden but we still managed to do late Autumn tidying up in there today for a few hours !!

Hope you’re doing as well as possible these days. I am dealing with very early dementia news. It’s a little depressing but your story is inspiring. And I appreciate you for it. Best Wishes. Mark in Charlotte, North Carolina

Thank you Ann. Kind words such as these expressed by you mean a lot to me.

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

Thank you for these kind words which I appreciate and apologies for the slow response

Thank you, your kind words are well received. As long as the film is helping other people then I am pleased.

Thank you Mary for sharing this. Take care x

Thank you🙂

Tracey, how is our husband doing? I hope you are well. God Bless!

Thank you

gill kind in

Very many thanks.

Thank you for these kind words

Thank you. I hope that life is treating you kindly now. Knowing what is happening inside our head can be a real help. Your story is so much like mine. It's 7 years since I went though this so there i HOPE!

@melungeon55 how are you now?

Hello Angela How are you doing today?

Thank you o much - I feel you are so right. Never easy to maintain but with love and support the positive attitude is a little easier to achieve.

Thank you. I know from this message that you will be able to deal with what lies ahead. Seek out what help and support is available both local to you and on line through charities etc. Take care

Sincere thank you!

Thank you for sharing your experience. Take care.

It was back in 2012 and took 2 days to get the 8 minutes film with a lovely, caring professional film maker / dementia trainer. I know I couldn't do this now and have been filmed since but not like this. I wish you well.

Thanks - the film was made a long time ago when I was very early into my dementia. Some things have changed but the spirit and person remains

@@keitholiver7588 I appreciate the reply. Stay strong :)

Thanks Caprice. despite it being over 5 years since this film was made I am "hanging in there"! Some friends with the condition are not so lucky. Words of encouragement DO help, so thanks again.

Thank you this is much appreciated

Thank you - just an ordinary man with good support and a drive to do something useful while I still can.

Thank you that is very kind

Thank you, your kind words are appreciated

thank you, i wish you well. take care

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

Thank you so much and your comments and suggestions are both true and correct.

Thanks Keith.your doing your best.also,your very aware.mgt

I only hope it was useful🙂

Thank you for your kindness which means a lot

@@keitholiver7588 hi Keith. Did you live in kerikeri? Your mum a teacher at the local school. If so we were class mates.?

@@johnpendergrast8177 no sorry, wrong person

Thank you Carol. That is appreciated by us both

Thank you. Still here and doing my best to stay around x

@@keitholiver7588 YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I HOPE TIME IS GREAT 2U BROTHER AND U GET ALOT MORE!

@@keitholiver7588 KEITH ANO THER YEAR MATE!

Thank you Kamini I read your kind words to my wife and they were appreciated by us both

Thank you I try🙂

Take care and I wish for "sunnier days" ahead for you

Maybe it is this group that speak out. Dementia doesn't discriminate. Thank you for your comment and I hope the little film was of use and interest. Best wishes.

Wow if this little bit of insight is indeed from you Keith it shows you are very much still there intellectually!! I am thoroughly impressed! I do agree that it is likely a group difference regarding the out-reach.

Take care, sending you my best wishes. Best way forward is to try and stay connected to those people who matter to you

@@keitholiver7588Can you give us an update on how your doing now?

Get checked for fibromyalgia and depression. Probably just hormonal/emotional.

So true, thank you for your comments. Take care.

Thank you Maurenn. That's very kind

Thank you

I have many flaws and faults but do my best despite what dementia challenges and frustrates me with - support, encouragement and care help a lot

@@keitholiver7588 Keith I’m glad you’re still with us and optimistic after 9 years since this video was evidently filmed. I appreciate your sense of humor on the matter, with your remarks about reruns being new to you. From a yankee across the pond; best wishes my friend.

Sorry it has taken so long - just learnt how to reply!! Many thanks

Its help me to get my auntie To see her JP and srart the assesment progress

Thank you I appreciate this.

Thank you Sandie, as an aussiephile myself I really appreciate your kind words. The sun is shining nicely here for me, but it always shines a little brighter when I am in our beloved Adelaide,

Thank you. Despite the lock down with the crucial props of love and support alongside routine I am doing quite well and actually better than I could have hoped for when I made this film over 6 years ago

That's very kind of you. Thank you. Take care.

Thank you - I hope it was helpful

@@keitholiver7588 yes it really was. Thanks for the reply I appreciate it 👍👍

Thank you this is appreciated

Thank you, that is kind of you to say that - my wife takes an increasing role in it but we still try and combine our efforts.

Thank you, very best to you too

Good Morning Mr. Oliver, Coconut Oil and a Ketogenic protocol has proven to be beneficial in slowing down the progression of dementia. All the BEST, CP

Charlene Powers Many thanks. Have tried it,. whilst I recognise it helps some it didn''t prove helpful in my case and the high fat content was a bit concerning.

Thank you. I am pleased that this little film has helped, that mean a lot. Very best wishes

take care x

Nice comment

👁️ Thank you. I appreciate your kind comment.

Tina, how are you?

Thank you Mary for your kindness

Thank you - if this film continues to help then I am happy

I ask that same question so often Alice and sometimes the answer is hard to find. I hope that you are getting some help and support for in that lies one key to staying as well as is possible. Take care

@@keitholiver7588 thank you, I have started going to programs and groups, I hope you are having a good week, we are in California dealing with fire....again....😳 take care🤗

@@mnmdisney stay safe. The fires look horrendous on the news over here in the UK. I did live in the Adelaide hills back in the 80s with the ever present risk and we had a swimming pool as much as a reservoir to pump out water onto the property to fight fires as to swim in. Take care.

Chemtrails !

thank you

Absolutely right and good advice for others to follow. I wish you well.

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

Lol

Thanks Jan -glad we are working together on a project after a gap in time

Thank you

Thank you, with support I will certainly try !!!

@@keitholiver7588 hi, would you like to do some youtube videos where you give us an update on how you're doing?

Thank you. The film is in the public domain and is used by others to hopefully help. Can i please ask how you would like to use it?

Keith Oliver my parents have Alzheimer’s and dementia and I have been their carer . It would just be a support link for some who are really genuine struggling to come to terms and been bullied in the process . It would be part of the link on RU-vid for Dementia Training where your story appears . I hope you are doing as well as possible 💜🌸🕊💯🇬🇧

@@Kpink452 Thank you. That is fine. Please take care of yourself too.

Thank you

I'm now 57, I am happy you have shared so much we have in common. it makes me feel i'm ok. Mike.

Vascular dementia is different than Alzheimer’s.

Thank you Mary

Hello Christopher, I do at times confound a few people but I am still around. More affected by the dementia but with help and support I get by ok and am DETERMINED to try and do so for a while longer.

Reply from DementiaTraining: I don't usually comment on other people's experiences, but I feel for the sake of other readers a response may be helpful. Of course, no one is suggesting dementia is easy or without difficulty, but with the right sort of support it is perfectly possible to maintain a good quality of life. For people in care homes, it is essential that staff have regular training on communication skills and understanding situations that can lead to 'behavioural' issues. Family carers can also get help from local support groups or organisations such as the Alzheimer's Society. You are not alone! Key to understanding behaviour is to focus on how the person is feeling at that moment - and why. It is important always to be patient and kind, especially if the person is confused or forgetful. Depression can be quite common, but not inevitable. This can be affected by the environment or way the person is treated. Not being able to go outside or to get some fresh air can be an issue. People do not become 'zombies' (as mentioned above) although over-medication, the so-called 'chemical cosh', can be an issue. People with severe memory problems can become confused about where they are, or forget that loved ones are no longer with us. If this happens, it can be helpful to talk to them about the person they are missing and perhaps look at some old photos. Having familiar items in the person's room, including pictures, can be very helpful. Staff in care homes may be under pressure because of time and resources, but this is something to take up with management. It's important not to be judgemental, to make assumptions or to blame the resident. If the care worker is tired or frustrated, this can rub off on the person being supported. Trying to look at the issues another way, particularly from the person's point of view, can really help. No easy answers for some of these issues, but it starts with being kind and staying positive. Empower, rather than patronise. Even at an advanced stage, we should not assume the person doesn't understand, or talk about them to other staff as if they weren't there. Always be inquisitive. What doers this person enjoy? What would make them feel better?

@@DementiaTraining What would make them feel better? The sweet release of death. We force people to stay long after their expiration dates and their suffering is on us as a culture for not being able to let t hem go and give them their dignity.

@@mr.mediocregamer9653 I am really very sorry you feel that way. There are all sorts of things that can make a person feel better in the moment. Although there is not a permanent fix for dementia, people can still enjoy all sorts of things, eg talking to another person, looking at pictures, eating some favourite food, going for a walk, or listening to some favourite music. The essence of a 'person centred approach' is to understand how that individual is feeling, and what their preferences are. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. I have known many people with advanced dementia who, with the right support, have been able to live with a good quality of life. There may be good days and bad days. It's important not to give up.

@@DementiaTraining The problem is once you're in a long term care home you're not going to get "person centered" care. Care homes are notoriously understaffed and the majority of the care aids are people from the Philippines or India with English being their second language. The only time residents interact with them is when they are being fed, briefs being changed, or when they are getting their once a week shower. The rest of the time resident's are left to sit in their wheel chairs and self propel themselves around the home aimlessly. The ones with dementia like I mentioned spend their days lost....Asking anyone who will listen to them where is the bus? How do I get home? Where is my mother? Then the ones with delusions spend their time screaming, they're coming out of the walls! They're going to get me! They're stealing my money! Then their are the ones who react violently to care and punch and kick and bite their care aids.... It doesn't matter if you sit with these people and show them pictures of their dead loved ones, 5 minutes after you've finished showing the photos they're back to searching for them or screaming or calling out for them. Dementia patients living in a long term care home are in hell. This is why most long term care staff will tell you that they themselves will kill themselves however they need to before ever going to a long term care home. Again, if you love your mom or dad, or your husband or wife... Sign them up for MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) before they have dementia. Or, if you're rich you can always pay for 24 hour personal care and hope that keeps your loved one's "quality of life" positive.

@@mr.mediocregamer9653 You are describing problems that can certainly occur, but person centred care is part of training and a requirement, and care homes (in the UK) will be judged on this when they have their inspections. I acknowledge that some homes may be short-staffed and under resourced. This is not a complaint about the members of staff who may be under pressure and stress. But there are also many good care homes where residents are well supported. Emotional wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing. In the case of a resident asking for their mother, it's important to try to understand why. The person may be lonely or feeling vulnerable, looking for their mother to bring some comfort. Helping the person to talk about their mother may bring a feeling of calmness. You are correct that the person may forget the whole conversation a short while later, but hopefully the feeling of wellbeing and calmness will continue for some time longer.

Very sorry to hear of your concerns about your father. One possible course of action would be to discuss this with his GP if your father will agree. GPs will not normally discuss a patient with anyone else, even a close family member, unless they have given consent. Another option for you is to call the Alzheimer's Society helpline for advice and support. DementiaUK also has an excellent helpline. Hope this is of some help

Don’t argue or try to correct your father, as it’s not only pointless, but it’ll only cause more aggravation and upset him more. Remember to not get mad since it’s not his fault that he’s ill.

Thank you. I appreciate this. I still try and be positive and as well as I can.

Lovely to know

Thank you, so true

Thank you

Still standing!! Thank you for watching and ssking.

@@keitholiver7588 how are you now sir?