Dementia pioneer Group Homes Australia picks NSW South Coast for first regional Rementia Together Retreat
People living with dementia and their loved ones often find themselves lacking the crucial support required to navigate life after a dementia diagnosis.
In NSW's Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions, dementia rates are expected to increase by 4% more than the national average.
To support the region, Group Homes Australia has chosen the village of Berry for its first regional Rementia Together Retreat on 19 to 23 August 2024. Fully funded by the Australian Government, the retreat is designed for both the person with a dementia diagnosis and their chosen ‘support partner’.
Group Homes Australia’s Founder and Executive Director Tamar Krebs co-designed the unique retreat with dementia experts Dr Meredith Gresham and Jackie Pool.
The retreat is based on the revived concept, ‘rementia’. Unlike any other Australian short-stay dementia program, the Rementia Together Retreat is disrupting post-diagnostic care by re-positioning ‘dementia’ (to be ‘away from the mind’ in Latin) to ‘rementia’ (to ‘return to the mind’ in Latin).
"Getting a dementia diagnosis can be really difficult. But when you have the right people around you, it changes everything. That’s exactly what the Rementia Together Retreat did. It brought me a whole community of people going through what I’m going through, and Steve was by my side at every step,” said Catherine, who went with her husband and support partner Steve.
Steve said Catherine and himself had researched dementia.
“Our eyes were really opened at the retreat. We learnt so much, and we could do it together. It completely transformed how we see dementia, and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone who has just been diagnosed and their support partner,” he said.
Tamar, whose speech at the LEADERS SUMMIT 2024 was broken by sustained applause, said, "For every person living with dementia, there is almost always one more: the person supporting them."
"During our retreat, our leaders help connect people with their sense of self and, consequently, rementia,” Tamar added.
The program is led by Donna Ward, the Program Director at Group Homes Australia, who experienced firsthand the challenges of her own mother's dementia diagnosis because they did not receive support soon after her mother was diagnosed.
People with a recent dementia diagnosis and their support partner from Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Sutherland, Southern Highlands, and nearby regions are invited to register their interest via grouphomes.com.au/5-day-retreat or +1300 015 406 by 30 June.
