July DCSC: Our Biggest Night Yet!
Here's the recap, the resources, and a quick slide rescue.
Last time, at the club - thank you, John & Tom!
What an incredible evening. With over 40 attendees filling the room at the Kimpton Margot, it was so lovely to see familiar faces, welcome new ones, and watch this warm, passionate community continue to grow. There was a beautiful energy, and we are so grateful for the honest conversations, shared laughter, and connections made over great food and drinks.
John in the Wild: Lived Experience & Advocacy
We were so privileged to have John Attard open the evening. John travelled all the way from Bathurst to share his moving story of caring for his Nonna, who lives with dementia and Parkinson's. He spoke candidly about his journey as a young carer, turning lived experience into powerful advocacy, serving on advisory groups, and his recent feature on Dementia Australia's Hold the Moment podcast. So cool to see our members, out in the "wild", doing good things for the community
Requesting feedback for the "Carers Like Me" App
Have you ever wished you could meet someone whose caring journey felt a little like your own? Katya and Adnrew showed members a prototype of an app called Carers Like Me, at the centre of a grant application exploring whether technology can safely help carers find peers with similar caring experiences while keeping people in control of what others see and who they connect with. The project builds on ideas shared by our DCSC community and, if funded, will be co-designed and tested alongside carers across Australia.
Explore the concept: carers.likeme.au
Please share your thoughts - the grant is just around the corner! Katya and Andrew have set up a brief questionnaire to gauge initial feasibility and acceptability. Click here to share your feedback, or scan the QR code.
"It's Not Rocket Science: People Over Impairments" by Dr. Tom Morris
Dr. Tom Morris (Director of the Dementia Research Program & Analytics at HammondCare)
delivered a brilliant talk centered on the concept of the "dignity of risk."
Tom explored why personal choice is so often stripped away following a dementia diagnosis, challenging us to move past rigid institutional "best practices" and focus instead on personal identity, individual preferences, and the right to make life decisions. By examining how evidence-informed, risk-enabled care supports true dignity, Tom invited us to rethink safety versus independence so people can live lives that feel purposeful and truly their own. The major takeaway? Safety matters, but so do choice, autonomy, and agency.
(And yes — if you were there, you definitely noticed the classic Mac-to-PC compatibility glitch that turned Tom's slide text into absolute hieroglyphics on the big screen! Rest assured, we have rescued the original formatting, and no translation key is required.)
New venue, who dis?
After many fantastic events at The White Horse (forever in our hearts❤️), we ventured over to The Kimpton Margot in the heart of Sydney to accommodate our growing numbers.
We wanted a venue that felt accessible, warm, human, and welcoming. We'd love to know what you thought! How did the space feel to you? Was it easy to get to and navigate? How were the food and drinks? Send us a message and let us know your thoughts so we can keep tailoring the DCSC experience!
Studies looking for people like us:
Carer Emotional Wellbeing (Deakin University)
Helen McGeoch, a Graduate Researcher at Deakin University, is studying self-compassion, self-criticism, and emotional wellbeing in informal (unpaid) dementia care partners. This research aims to better understand what increases difficult emotions in caregiving and what helps protect against them.
Who can participate? Informal care partners (18+) currently supporting a person living with dementia who can read English.
Details: A 25-minute, confidential, and completely voluntary online survey.
Take the survey here. Questions? Contact Helen directly at hmmcgeoch@deakin.edu.au.
A quick note on our mailing list
If you want to stay in the loop for future event wrap-ups, slide drops, and first-look invites to upcoming club nights, sign up here to give your permission and be added to the official list.
Thank you once again to our speakers, our hosts at the Kimpton Margot, and every single one of you who showed up, asked questions, shared your experiences, and made the night so special.
Details for our next gathering will be in your inbox and on our Upcoming Events page soon!
See you at the next one,
Katya & Monique
Dementia Care Social Club
