Still Us: Navigating Relationships, Love and Intimacy

When Karen was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, she and her husband Jonathan knew their relationship would change. What surprised them was how. "It’s just made us more tender and gentle," Karen says.    They've become more mindful, more aware of each other's needs, and they're having conversations they never expected to have, including about consent as things evolve.    When you hear “dementia and intimacy”, sex might be the first thing that comes to mind. But intimacy is about so much more. It's about connection, closeness, and love. And it includes the relationships beyond your romantic ones.   “Intimacy is about a human connection, and that can be sex,” says Dr Catherine Barrett, CEO of Celebrate Ageing, “but it can also be loving your children or your grandchildren, or having other special relationships in your life”. Karen and Jonathan share how they’re managing the changing conditions of their relationship in real-time, and Catherine outlines some of the tools and tactics she uses in workshops to help people of all ages and abilities develop the skills of love.    +++    Hold the Moment is a podcast from Dementia Australia, produced by Deadset Studios and hosted by Jim Rogers and Hamish Macdonald.   ABOUT THE GUESTS  Karen is a Dementia Australia Dementia Advocate and retired teacher, coach and facilitator. Earlier this year, Karen received a diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (language variant frontotemporal dementia). She and her husband Jonathan speak openly about how their relationship is changing in real time.    Dr Catherine Barrett is the CEO of Celebrate Ageing, a charity committed to combating ageism and building respect for older people. A former nurse with more than 40 years of experience working with older people, Catherine helps people of all ages and abilities develop what she calls the skills of love.    NEED SUPPORT?   Contact the National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - funded by the Australian Government.    SERVICES & RESOURCES   Find links, services and information from this episode → https://www.dementia.org.au/episode-still-us   EPISODE CREDITS  Produced by Liam Riordan | Sound design by Slade Gibson | Executive producers: Sarah Dabro and Kellie Riordan | Production manager: Ann Chesterman    FOLLOW DEMENTIA AUSTRALIA   Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn  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.