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A media exec’s dementia love story · The Front

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Kristin Amiot.
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  Speaker 1: It's Monday, September fifteen, twenty twenty five. The Coalition has
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  Speaker 1: recorded its lowest primary vote in the history of News poll,
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  Speaker 1: a week after Senator Jacinta Numpiper Price was sacked for
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  Speaker 1: her controversial comments about Indian migrants. The approval rating of
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  Speaker 1: Opposition leader Susan Lee has also slumped, while Prime Minister
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  Speaker 1: Anthony Albanesi is riding high with the biggest two party
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  Speaker 1: preferred vote since labor Ie government. The former CEO of
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  Speaker 1: Westpac says the government's big superannuation tax shouldn't go ahead
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  Speaker 1: in its current form. Lindsay max Said says the plan
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  Speaker 1: would be a knock to business investment, which the Labour
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  Speaker 1: Party is relying on to boost productivity. You can read
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  Speaker 1: those stories right now at The Australian dot com dot au.
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  Speaker 1: It's the next chapter in Dementia Love Story Today the Australians.
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  Speaker 1: Louise Bryant opens up about the privilege of caring for
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  Speaker 1: her partner, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia in
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  Speaker 1: his forties, and the clarity that comes with a definitive
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  Speaker 1: diagnosis plus as dementia takes the lead as our nation's
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  Speaker 1: biggest killer. The Australian and our friends atnews dot com
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  Speaker 1: dot a U are launching a new series about its
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  Speaker 1: impact and why prevention is so important in our shared future.
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  Speaker 1: Louise Bryant is the managing editor of The Australian and
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  Speaker 1: News Corp Australia's prestige titles Vogue and GQ. As a
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  Speaker 1: high flying media executive, she's one of the busiest people
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  Speaker 1: in our Surrey Hills office, if not the publishing world.
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  Speaker 1: She's also incredibly considerate and has been known to appear
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  Speaker 1: at our desks with a box of gorgeous croissants at
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  Speaker 1: exactly the right moment. But Louis has been living another
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  Speaker 1: life at home with her partner Craig, who was diagnosed
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  Speaker 1: with early onset dementia a decade ago, aged forty six.
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  Speaker 1: She calls him Moose.
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  Speaker 2: Moose and I met in a very typical Aussie setting
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  Speaker 2: at the local swimming club and we fell in love
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  Speaker 2: and have lived a very happy life. Moosus somebody who's
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  Speaker 2: so mischievous and so full of fun and a real
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  Speaker 2: lover of life.
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  Speaker 3: And we've had a really lovely life together.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I get that vibe from the words that you've
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  Speaker 1: written in The Australian, the words that our colleague Fiona
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  Speaker 1: Harari has written, but even from the nickname Moose, I
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  Speaker 1: feel like you can't be a Moose and be a
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  Speaker 1: bad time.
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  Speaker 2: That's right, And I think in the community everybody knows Moose,
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  Speaker 2: and a lot of people know Moose by name but
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  Speaker 2: probably didn't know that he had dementia. Louise first shared
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  Speaker 2: the story of Moose's diagnosis and how they've navigated it
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  Speaker 2: together with the Australians Fiona Harari about a year ago,
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  Speaker 2: and when I walked up to the local grocer to
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  Speaker 2: buy the print edition on the Saturday, I've bumped into
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  Speaker 2: a number of neighbors and friends and many were visibly
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  Speaker 2: quite mood. They'd read the story and many had known
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  Speaker 2: Moose my name, but didn't know that he had dementia.
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  Speaker 2: So it was a really powerful story and I think
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  Speaker 2: it was a love story, but it was also a
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  Speaker 2: story about dementia that was told very differently.
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  Speaker 1: The reception at work has been similarly warm.
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  Speaker 2: Of course, I've had some incredible support from my colleagues.
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  Speaker 2: I always think though everyone's got something going on, and
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  Speaker 2: perhaps this story might have resonated and was relatable because
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  Speaker 2: people do have personal issues going on in their lives
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  Speaker 2: outside of work, and they can be small things or
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  Speaker 2: big things, or indeed, as I've discovered, many people have
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  Speaker 2: a loved one with dementia or had a loved one
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  Speaker 2: with dementia, and I think being able to humanize dementia
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  Speaker 2: in a way that he's done with compassion and empathy,
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  Speaker 2: which is so how Fiona has portrayed this series of stories.
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  Speaker 1: Shortly after Louise and Moos's love story first appeared in
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  Speaker 1: The Australian, Moos's behavior changed again. He was confused, oscillating
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  Speaker 1: between moments of clarity and disorientation, and began to lash
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  Speaker 1: out physically. On one particularly distressing occasion. Police were called
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  Speaker 1: to assist in restraining Moose, who's a big guy and
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  Speaker 1: still has the hallmarks of a lifelong ocean swimmer, so
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  Speaker 1: a sedative could be administered by paramedics. It was my birthday,
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  Speaker 1: so I remember the day quite clearly, and bearing in
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  Speaker 1: mind that normally, if I was there, I could calm
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  Speaker 1: him down, but this had gone past that point, and
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  Speaker 1: it was the point of no return, and so when
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  Speaker 1: the police turned up, I apologized and I said I'm
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  Speaker 1: sorry that you're here. He's just a big, clumsy, teddy bear.
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  Speaker 1: And there wasn't much small talk. But they.
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  Speaker 3: Threw him on the ground.
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  Speaker 4: And they started yelling at him to follow their orders.
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  Speaker 4: And I was screaming in my head to say to
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  Speaker 4: my Moose, just fight back. You've done nothing wrong.
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  Speaker 3: This is not your fault.
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  Speaker 1: And eventually the paramedic was able to put the needle
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  Speaker 1: in his arm, and afterwards, yeah, he was chemically and
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  Speaker 1: physically restrained on a stretcher and was sent to hospital.
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  Speaker 1: Moose bounced between hospital and the home where he was
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  Speaker 1: living for a while before he was admitted to the
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  Speaker 1: Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, where Louise is by
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  Speaker 1: his side.
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  Speaker 2: And the last hospital admission, it was evident that something
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  Speaker 2: wasn't quite right and there was a decision made by
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  Speaker 2: a complex care team that it might be worthwhile doing
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  Speaker 2: some further investigation into what might be causing this.
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  Speaker 1: And MRI and lumber puncture performed by Muse's team of
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  Speaker 1: expert carers revealed definitively a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Previously,
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  Speaker 1: doctors thought Muse's diagnosis could be alcohol related, a product
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  Speaker 1: of his days as a brilliant advertising creative. Now Louise
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  Speaker 1: and Muse's big circle of loved ones, no, for sure
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  Speaker 1: that wasn't the case.
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  Speaker 2: And I guess it just provides that sense of clarity.
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  Speaker 2: It doesn't change anything, It doesn't change how he's being treated.
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  Speaker 2: It just provides a bit more of an explanation about
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  Speaker 2: why and how this has occurred. In Moos's case, He's
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  Speaker 2: of the fifty five percent of which most dementias are
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  Speaker 2: genetic or of their cause by not by external environmental factors.
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  Speaker 3: So it was inevitable.
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  Speaker 1: And how does that feel for you? As the person
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  Speaker 1: who is you said, I guess you're a decision maker
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  Speaker 1: in his care, but you're also his partner. This is
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  Speaker 1: the man that you love.
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  Speaker 3: How does that feel to as you say, get that clarity.
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  Speaker 2: I'm completely heartbroken. It's absolutely devastating, and I guess it's
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  Speaker 2: been a long journey with Craig and this insidious disease.
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  Speaker 3: I feel like his life has been robbed.
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  Speaker 2: And I've said this before, but I can't look back
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  Speaker 2: and I can't look forward. I'm just in the moment,
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  Speaker 2: I'm here to advocate and care for Craig.
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  Speaker 1: On that point, you wrote in your op ed for
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  Speaker 1: The Australian that it is a privilege to care for
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  Speaker 1: somebody that you love. It's something that, as you said,
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  Speaker 1: most of us will do at some point.
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  Speaker 3: In our lives.
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  Speaker 1: Noting the growing prevalence of dementia in the community. Can
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  Speaker 1: you elaborate on what you mean by that. What's that
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  Speaker 1: experience been like.
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  Speaker 4: For you.
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  Speaker 2: About caring for someone that you deeply love, that they
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  Speaker 2: let you in to their inner sanctum, they allow you
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  Speaker 2: to walk the path with them, and in Musa's case,
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  Speaker 2: it's been quite a joyful ride. We've had many laughs
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  Speaker 2: along the way. I've seen how he responds to my mum,
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  Speaker 2: his friends and loved ones. It's really special to experience.
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  Speaker 1: Coming up a rallying cry for prevention of the nation's
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  Speaker 1: biggest killer. This year, The Australian's Louise Bryant did something
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  Speaker 1: she's never done before. She took a volunteer day.
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  Speaker 2: My volunteer day was with Newer Neurosciencesustralia, which is the
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  Speaker 2: preeminent institute for brain health and research.
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  Speaker 3: It's the Brain Bank.
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  Speaker 2: Essentially and Professor Matthew Kinnan, who's the institute's director, had
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  Speaker 2: read Fiona Hirari's story and they reached out to me
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  Speaker 2: and they asked me if I would be willing to
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  Speaker 2: talk at their town hall because they wanted to hear
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  Speaker 2: about a lived experience with dementia, and they told me
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  Speaker 2: that it was really vital to their research. And I
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  Speaker 2: was very honored to speak, and of course I didn't hesitate,
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  Speaker 2: and I realized then that it was some way I
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  Speaker 2: could give back and provide some insights that might be useful.
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  Speaker 1: Luis's work with NeuRA has inspired a special series on
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  Speaker 1: dementia called Think Again, published across The Australian and News
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  Speaker 1: dot Com Dot a U from today. The series will
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  Speaker 1: explore the impact of dementia, which is now the leading
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  Speaker 1: cause of death in Australia, delve into the science behind
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  Speaker 1: the disease, and provide vital steps all Australians can take
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  Speaker 1: to lower their risk of developing dementia or delay it's
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  Speaker 1: on set.
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  Speaker 2: After I spoke at the town hall, I was warned
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  Speaker 2: about a looming health crisis, which is dementia. A dementia
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  Speaker 2: tsunami is coming Australia is at the epicenter of this tsunami.
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  Speaker 2: We have responsibility to lead and I felt quite compelled
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  Speaker 2: that we can use our platforms our megaphone if you
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  Speaker 2: like to really share an awareness campaign around dementia.
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  Speaker 3: It's not all doom and gloom. There is hope.
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  Speaker 2: But I think what's really important is the word prevention,
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  Speaker 2: and all of our neuroscientists and researchers tell us this
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  Speaker 2: that prevention it can actually prevent or delay dementia. We
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  Speaker 2: know from the Lancet Report that there are fourteen modifiable
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  Speaker 2: behaviors that can potentially prevent or delay dementia, and a
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  Speaker 2: lot of them are often linked to your heart health
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  Speaker 2: or other things. And when you go to your GP
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  Speaker 2: and you are worried about your cancer risk or your
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  Speaker 2: heart health, that you smoke, or you drink too much,
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  Speaker 2: or you're not exercising, often those conversations will lead into
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  Speaker 2: diabetes or.
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  Speaker 3: Cholesterol or heart or stroke.
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  Speaker 2: Rarely do they lead into conversation around dementia or indeed
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  Speaker 2: brain health. And I think this campaign will absolutely support
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  Speaker 2: those living with dementia, support those who are caring for
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  Speaker 2: a loved one with dementia, but also encourage Australians from
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  Speaker 2: forty plus to go to their GP and have that
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  Speaker 2: conversation around brain health.
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  Speaker 1: The latest data available suggests one million Australians will be
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  Speaker 1: diagnosed with dementia by twenty sixty five. Advocates are calling
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  Speaker 1: for decisive action by state and federal governments to ensure
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  Speaker 1: our healthcare system is prepared to support people living with
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  Speaker 1: dementia as well as their loved ones.
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  Speaker 2: Like Luise, our health system views dementia as an age
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  Speaker 2: care problem. It's after sixty five years old that's when
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  Speaker 2: those dementia supports kick in. We didn't have any support
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  Speaker 2: when Moose was diagnosed he was forty six years old,
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  Speaker 2: and now Moose's current at Prince of Wales and receiving
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  Speaker 2: excellent care from the incredible medical staff there. However, it's
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  Speaker 2: not an easy straight line.
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  Speaker 1: Louise Bryant is the managing editor of News Corp Australia's
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  Speaker 1: Prestige Titles. You can read stories and watch videos about
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  Speaker 1: lived experiences with dementia at Think Again dementia dot com
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  Speaker 1: dot au. Plus, you can play brain games designed to
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  Speaker 1: strengthen your brain health and join our subscribers anytime at
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: the Australian dot com, dot au