The guest speaker of our first Zoom meeting in 2021 was Bethan Morris from TIDE (Together In Dementia Everyday). Bethan is the Carer Involvement Leader for Wales. Bethan previously worked for Carers Outreach Service in North Wales for over 10 years and has also been involved with the CFAS (Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies) research project led by the Dementia Services Development Centre at Bangor University.
TIDE is a UK wide charity that aims to gives carers a voice by sharing their stories. Caring for someone with dementia can at times be challenging, isolating and exhausting. TIDE exists to empower carers by sharing their stories to create change. Bethan emphasised the organisation’s underpinning support for the “Carer’s Right To Be Heard” in their own language; also that everyone has their own individual life story and their experience is unique to them. One of our club members echoed this as a Carer for her husband. She felt she had regained her sense of empowerment through the courses and support provided by the organisation. Members recognised the huge value in Carer’s looking after their family members with dementia 24/7 and the incredible pressures that they endure, especially during lockdown. Many members connected with Bethan’s words regarding living with grief and bereavement.
Bethan will keep the club in touch with any lobbying that TIDE are undertaking.
The speaker fee for the talk will be sent direct to TIDE