Bigger Hearts Dementia Friendly Ballarat campaign was launched in August 2016, inspired by Edie Mayhew and Anne Tudor, who described their responses to living with Edie’s younger onset dementia as having made their hearts bigger.
Anne and Edie were supported by Dr Catherine Barrett, City of Ballarat, Dementia Australia, Ballarat North Community House & Carers Respite.
Edie openly shared her experience and her vision for a dementia-friendly Ballarat community.
“We were inspired to share with the community about the real challenges of living with dementia and at the same time try to find the positive in each situation."
"We are calling on influential and everyday members of our community to join us in establishing a Local Dementia Alliance which will work towards creating a dementia-friendly Ballarat."
"Bigger Hearts is a great way for us to engage with many people in Ballarat and talk about how everyone can play a role in working towards a dementia-friendly community.”
Edie Mayhew.
Bigger Hearts Hubs, Tuesdays at the Turret, Bigger Hearts Exchange, Museum of Love, Pulse of my Heart
Other initiatives soon followed, such as Bigger Hearts Hubs, where posters were displayed throughout Ballarat and community members completed blank postcards outlining their vision for a Dementia Friendly Ballarat – over 300 cards were completed!
A report was written by Dr Catherine Barrett which analysed the suggestions. This report can be found at https://www.museumoflove.com.au/uploads/1/5/3/9/15399992/report.pdf.
Bigger Hearts Hubs, Tuesdays at the Turret, Bigger Hearts Exchange, Museum of Love, Pulse of my Heart
Other initiatives soon followed, such as Bigger Hearts Hubs, where posters were displayed throughout Ballarat and community members completed blank postcards outlining their vision for a Dementia Friendly Ballarat – over 300 cards were completed! A report was written by Dr Catherine Barrett which analysed the suggestions. This report can be found at https://www.museumoflove.com.au/uploads/1/5/3/9/15399992/report.pdf.
“Tuesdays at the Turret” were a huge success, with many community members accepting the open invitation to come together for a weekly chat over a period of six weeks. Those who attended talked about dementia, shared life experiences and most importantly had many laughs.
The Bigger Hearts Exchange was a creative project by filmmaker Andrew Ferguson. The film documented the experiences of people living with dementia and their suggestions for creating a dementia friendly Ballarat.
Six people living with dementia, and six community members, exchanged ideas over cups of tea and many new friendships were made. The video has been a training video for first responders.
The Museum of Love was an initiative of Dr Catherine Barrett’s not-for-profit organisation, Celebrate Ageing. It was a two-day symposium held on Valentine’s Day at the Mechanics Institute, Ballarat. Many projects came from this symposium, including “Letters of Love” and “Dementia and 100 Stories”. The projects were designed to challenge the traditional view of dementia by depicting people in the Ballarat region who were living with dementia. The projects can be viewed online at https://www.museumoflove.com.au/. For more information about Celebrate Ageing please visit: https://www.celebrateageing.com/.
Pulse of my Heart is a series of films tracing Edie’s journey living with dementia. The last film in this series is Mr Velvet Ears. Mr Velvet Ears follows the experiences of Anne and Edie as they make the difficult decision to access a residential aged care home for Edie. The film is shot through the eyes of Mr Velvet Ears, their dementia assistance dog.
You can view Mr Velvet Ears here: https://celebrateageingschool.thinkific.com/courses/Mrvelvetears
Bigger Hearts Ballarat Dementia Alliance - Our Commitment to being Dementia Friendly
The Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance is an accredited dementia alliance through Dementia Australia, which works to improve the quality of life of people living with dementia, their family, friends and carers, in the greater Ballarat area.
We do this through community education, advocacy, and active contribution by members of the alliance.
How does the Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance make the community stronger?
- Ensuring people living with dementia are part of the membership of the Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance
- Creating dementia awareness
- Reducing the stigma of dementia and promoting dementia as a part of living
- Ensuring people impacted by dementia are not subject to discrimination with a focus on inclusion
- Encouraging participation for people living with dementia & their carers within the community
- Ensuring people living with dementia are engaged in co-designing projects with the Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance
- Partnering with other local dementia services and community organisations to maximise positive outcomes for people impacted by dementia
Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance met for the first-time July 2017 in the Trench Room, City of Ballarat. Many people who may have a lived experience of dementia, are healthcare professionals, or are interested community members, have joined the Alliance since its creation. Each member has played a significant role in growing the Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance and broadening its community reach.
If you would like to know more about creating a dementia-friendly community, you can access the Dementia Australia guide here: https://www.dementiafriendly.org.au/.
