Siobhann Blair
Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Nurse Consultant
NHS Lothian
“My family are all proud, ambitious nurses, so I knew from an early age that I wanted to follow them. Even falling pregnant with my daughter at 18 couldn’t stop me. With a newborn to adjust to, and through sheer will and determination, I managed to complete my degree only a year later than originally planned.”
“I promised myself I would drop any cynicism and fully embrace the programme. I was worried about all the unboxing, though. What if the lid wouldn’t go back on?”
“Looking back at my journal and scrapbook from the beginning of the programme was a difficult but illuminating exercise. The negativity on the pages in front of me did not resonate with the joyful and excited person I had become. Connecting to that part of myself again has fueled a fire in me. I want to use this gift to make proactive changes for others.”
“I am really concerned about the psychological trauma we will uncover as we explore COVID impact and recovery. There has been increased pressure on carers, staff and the people who depend on our support. The first step is reintroducing face to face contact. You can’t replace the positive power that touch, and physical closeness have on mental wellbeing.”
“There is effective post-diagnostic support at the beginning of the journey, but there is more to accomplish at the end. Carers can feel like they have failed their loved ones when they have to go into long term care that is often the very last part of someone’s journey. We need better communication around this.”
“The model we are creating is about community support, but our end goal is to encourage the government to adapt this for much wider use.”