A session on "dementia"

was part of yesterday's agenda.
It had been arranged by our local state MP. She was keeping an election promise to try and provide information sessions on just such things. She was elected to parliament in March and, while campaigning, she had been told about the need for such things. That was her claim anyway.
And yes, perhaps she was responding to a need for such things because the venue could not have held any more people. There were people standing at the back.
I went along largely to give the MP support. The Senior Cat and I have done a considerable amount of reading about dementia. So far it isn't something that either of us have been unfortunate enough to be told we have. The Senior Cat's brother had a form of dementia brought on by a series of "mini-strokes" as we lay people call them. His closest friend has the Alzheimer's form of dementia however and we are aware of the stress this is causing the family. We have felt the need to inform ourselves.
I didn't learn anything more about dementia at the session but I would still rate it excellent. The speaker was very, very good.  If I had not known anything about dementia before I attended the session I would have left knowing a lot. I would have left knowing it in a simple, reassuring form. That's invaluable.
What was really useful for me was knowing what information a professional dementia counsellor would give and how she gave it. 
I know people in the very early stages of dementia. In some it is obvious but in others it isn't. It isn't my role to interfere - but it is my responsibility to support if necessary.
I hope it was a message that other people went away with as well.
And today I'll leave a brief note for my MP to let her know that it was well worth her while to go to the work of organising that session because, right around me, there were positive comments.
It wasn't just that either. One person said,
     "And it's such a blimin' relief to know I am not the only person who forgets what I went into the next room for - and that that's just normal."