Your close relationships enter new territory once you’ve been diagnosed with dementia. Roles change, people might pull away but, for the most part, your loved ones just want to know how to be there for you. This episode helps you navigate these changes.

If you’d like tailored support you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. You can call 24 hours a day or request a callback, start a webchat or send an email with whatever is on your mind.

The Dementia Australia website has resources about maintaining relationships for people with dementia and for carers, family and friends. There is also information about navigating intimacy here.

If you want to hear more stories about caring, dating and making friends with dementia, [listen to this episode of Hold the Moment].

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Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios.

Follow Dementia Australia on Facebook and Instagram and find support resources online.

This episode was hosted by Jim Rogers and Kristin, a National Dementia Helpline Advisor. It was produced by Luci McAfee. Executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan.

The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

For support, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 (24 hours a day, seven days a week). The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Follow Dementia Australia on Facebook and Instagram or find support resources on our website.

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan. Sound design by Sean Holden. The executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan. Production manager is Ann Chesterman.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

Whether you’ve always been a marathon runner or just love getting out in your garden, staying active is an important way to manage symptoms of dementia.

Here’s your quick guide on building physical activity into your routine in a way that suits your lifestyle.

If you’d like support to stay active with dementia, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. You can call 24 hours a day or request a callback, start a webchat, or send an email with whatever is on your mind.

If you want to learn more on exercising with dementia, listen to this episode of Hold the Moment.

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Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios.

Follow Dementia Australia on Facebook and Instagram and find support resources online.

This episode was hosted by Jim Rogers and Kristin, a National Dementia Helpline Advisor. Producer is Luci McAfee, executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan.

The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

If you take a long walk around Bealiba in regional Victoria, you might spot the occasional water bottle, perched under a tree. Those would be Heather’s.

Heather’s always been a keen athlete and, even now at 80 years old, she loves long-distance running. That hasn’t changed since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but she’s had to adapt her training to make sure she stays safe and on the right track. The water bottles, strategically placed every four kilometres along her usual running route, don’t just keep her hydrated – they mark her trail.

Fitness has always been important to Heather. But Hold the Moment co-host Jim Rogers can’t say the same: “I’ve never been a gym junkie.” But because of his dementia, Jim’s learning to think of exercise as medicine.

You’ll also meet exercise physiologist Nick who has tips on physical exercise that can support your quality of life.

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Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios and hosted by Jim Rogers and Hamish Macdonald.

For support, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 (24 hours a day, seven days a week). The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Follow Dementia Australia on Facebook and Instagram or find support resources on our website.

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan. Sound design by Sean Holden. The executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan. Production manager is Ann Chesterman.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

Feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of writing or updating a will? Want to better understand things like power of attorney and enduring guardianship? Help is at hand! This episode breaks it down so you can start planning with confidence.

Dementia Australia also has a webinar on ‘Future Planning’ you can watch online and other resources to help get your affairs in order.

If you’d like tailored support, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. You can call 24 hours a day or request a callback, start a webchat or send an email.

You can also listen to this longer episode of Hold the Moment to hear more stories of people planning their lives after diagnosis. Hearing how they’ve tackled their affairs might just help you get started!

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Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios.

Follow Dementia Australia on Facebook and Instagram and find support resources online.

This episode was hosted by Jim Rogers and Kristin, a National Dementia Helpline Advisor. It was produced by Luci McAfee. Executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan.

The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

“I was diagnosed early, so I got what I call my ‘active dying plan’ out of the way. And now I’m on my ‘active living plan’ and my adventure with dementia.”

Pam was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia in her late 50s. Although the diagnosis at such a young age was a shock, Pam wasted no time making arrangements for her own funeral so that when the time comes, her family can celebrate her life the way she prefers.

For Hold the Moment co-host Jim Rogers, the process of getting his paperwork in order started with a long, reflective walk around the Glebe foreshore in Sydney with his husband Tyler. But once the big picture was planned, how did Jim start the necessary legal processes to make sure that big picture would come to life?

Professor Nola Ries can help. She’s a co-founder of the Dementia Law Network. She explains the common (and sometimes confusing) terms you’re likely to hear as you start getting your affairs in order.

Dementia Australia also has a webinar on Future Planning you can watch online, plus other resources to help get your affairs organised.

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Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios and hosted by Jim Rogers and Hamish Macdonald.

For support, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 (24 hours a day, seven days a week). The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Follow Dementia Australia on Facebook and Instagram or find support resources on our website.

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan. Sound design by Sean Holden. The executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan. Production manager is Ann Chesterman.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

A dementia diagnosis can be a shock and it also can be a relief.

If you’re looking for support, resources and guidance on what to do after you or someone you love has been diagnosed with dementia, this bonus episode is your simple how-to guide.

If you’d like personalised support on what to do once you’ve been diagnosed, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. You can call 24 hours a day or request a callback, start a webchat or send an email with whatever is on your mind.

There are many helpful Dementia Australia resources and programs to support you and your loved ones following a dementia diagnosis. We can also connect you with peers who have been through what you’re going through right now.

Find resources online or register for Dementia Australia’s peer support program.

You can find out more about Dementia Australia’s BrainTrack app here.

You can also listen to this episode of Hold the Moment to hear more stories of real people navigating life after diagnosis.

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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 Facebook and Instagram or find support resources on our website.

This episode was hosted by Jim Rogers and Kristin, a National Dementia Helpline Advisor. It was produced by Luci McAfee. Executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan.

The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.

Jim Rogers didn’t see it coming. “It was almost like an out-of-body experience,” he says. “It was as though time stood still.”

Only a few months earlier, life for Jim was as it had always been. He and his husband Tyler were both busy, focused on their careers and very social. But Jim’s colleagues noticed he would occasionally forget important details at work. Little did he know this seemingly innocuous symptom would lead to a dementia diagnosis.

In the first episode of Hold the Moment, Jim shares the story of his own diagnosis with his co-host, broadcaster and journalist Hamish Macdonald. He then meets, Catherine, a kindergarten teacher from Sydney who shares the frightening accident that led to her own diagnosis and what gives her hope in the dark moments.

In Hold the Moment, Jim and Hamish talk to people living with dementia about their diagnosis experience, their new lifestyles and, most importantly, the changes, habits and mindsets that have helped them find positivity and peace in the moment.

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Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios and hosted by Jim Rogers and Hamish Macdonald.

For support, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500 (24 hours a day, seven days a week). The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

Follow Dementia Australia on Facebook and Instagram or find support resources on our website.

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan. Sound design by Sean Holden. The executive producers are Grace Pashley and Kellie Riordan. Production manager is Ann Chesterman.

Dementia Australia and Deadset Studios acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Dementia Australia acknowledges and appreciates the support of the Australian Government for this initiative.