Memory walk and jog, Dubbo: Dementia Australia encourages Dubbo residents to attend

It’s a first for Dubbo as residents are encouraged to participate in an event to support people living with dementia and their carers. Here’s what’s happening.

Residents in the state’s central west will take part in Dementia Australia’s inaugural walk and jog in Dubbo to advocate and raise funds for people who are touched by dementia.

Bruce McDermaid told The Dubbo News he understood the importance of the walk as he cared for his mother and now his brother to the neurocognitive disorder.

Dubbo’s first memory walk and jog will be held on Sunday from 7.20am-11am, at Lions Park in Dubbo.

More than 55 people signed up to the event, however, Mr McDermaid hoped to see numbers closer to 100 in the coming days.

“There are more than 421,000 people in this country who have dementia – it’s the second largest cause of fatalities in the country and the largest leading cause of death among women in Australia,” Mr McDermaid said.

“There are a lot of people affected that possibly don’t realise or see themselves as affected but there’s grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents, who all have the condition and the understanding out there is still fairly poor.”

Bruce McDermaid. Photo: Tijana Birdjan.

He said the condition was not just about losing memory, but other vital brain functions, including communication between the eyes and brain, and other motor movements.

Mr McDermaid has been volunteering with the organisation for six months and is encouraging the Dubbo community to get involved to learn more about the condition.

Dementia Australia’s Memory walk and jog. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

He said people in the Dubbo community can help people living with dementia by being “more aware and patient”, giving the example of giving extra time to people when they are in a queue.

“When somebody gets told to hurry up, that means they don’t want to do it again. They don’t want to come out again and by cutting their social activities, it cuts off a large part of their life,” he said.

The event is on Sunday between 7.30am-11am at Lion’s Park.

“It’s important that we as a community are friendly to people in town who have it.

“If you have a grandma, a mother, or somebody with dementia in your life, try to learn about it and see it through their eyes.

“It’s okay to forget where you put your keys but it’s a different thing when you forget what your keys are for.”

He said as hard the condition can be for people living with dementia it “hurts more” for their carers and loved ones.

National Dementia Helpline 1800 100 500

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