Our Dementia Journey

Rachel Deeming Reviewer

Loved it! 😍

A collection of poems, heartfelt and honest, written by a man caring for his elderly parents, one of whom, his father, has dementia

SYNOPSIS

A collection of heartfelt and emotional poems about one family's journey including messages of hope and advice for those on the same journey.

At the same time it is an uplifting collection of poems in its own right showing the power of the human spirit to overcome challenges with faith, hope and love.

Written from the perspective of a son caring for his Dad who has dementia and his Mum who has other health issues, the poems take us through the family's dementia journey and include reflections and thoughts on different aspects from the perspective of his Dad, as well as the rest of the family.

A series of poems looks at the emotional challenges faced by carers who can feel all sorts of emotions, often all at the same time and how they need to find a way of caring for their loved one while also coping and caring for themselves.

Some poems in the collection look at the impact of the Covid Pandemic and also the Dementia bigger picture in terms of the Dementia ""pandemic"" that the world is facing.

Author Royalties go to Alzheimers Research UK who do research worldwide aimed at finding a cure for dementia.

To say I loved this poetry collection sounds a bit disingenuous considering the subject matter as dementia is not cheery at all or anything to be loved; quite the opposite. But I did love this collection, and this is because of the relatability of it. My grandmother had Alzheimer's and whilst I was not her carer, the feelings that Patrick McTaggart's poems evoke are ones that I have seen play out in front of me in my own life experience and can empathise with to a great degree.

This collection is many things: it is an expression of love for parents; it is a declaration of emotion; it is a sorting through of feelings; it a collection of grumbles; it is a lament for things lost; it is a guide to advise; it is a reflection of experience; it is a philosophical discussion. There is a lot contained here and that is understandable as getting to grips with a life living with dementia and what that entails is extremely involved on many levels.

I like reading things where I feel like the writer is honest; that what I am reading is heartfelt and not contrived and McTaggart's poems are full of true feeling. I am not ashamed to admit that I cried when reading some of them, like ""Hold on to Me"", ""Love conquers all"" and ""Silent Scream"", recognising in the words the difficulties faced by a carer for someone with dementia along with the reserves of human spirit that it draws on on a relentless basis, without respite; and seeing the people you love diminished before you, whilst still containing the essence of the person you have always known and loved.

It is a serious issue but McTaggart is also keen to emphasise that it is not all gloom. There are moments of joy, happiness that must be grasped and his poems highlight these and how important they are, like panning for gold, the glints in the seemingly inexhaustible detritus.

What I got mostly from this book, emphasized by the fact that the Alzheimer's Society will benefit from sales, is the sense of solidarity that McTaggart is keen to transmit with his words: that this is something that we might all face and it will be hard but not insurmountable and that there will be help and support, highs as well as lows: there will be a way through.

Paula Spencer Scott Author of ""Surviving Alzheimers""

""I know well that families coping with dementia find useful insights, tips, acknowledgement, and empathy in a myriad of forms. For those who embrace the soothing, probing wisdom of poetry, we now have Pat McTaggart's Our Dementia Journey. 'Everyone has a poem in them,' Pat writes. This parental tribute is a fount of affirmation for those of us touched by Alzheimer's--and may even inspire you to pen your own.""

“A wonderful tribute and aid.”

Peter Burgham Poet

A Light in the Dark

With wonderful generosity of spirit, Pat McTaggart opens the door on the inner sanctum of his family's emotional struggles with dementia and physical disability. Sharing the benefits of his experience in caring for his elderly parents, he helps us to view dementia from a variety of different angles, shining a light in the dark, and promoting the belief that 'love (and science) conquers all'.

Using the conciseness of the medium of poetry ('a poem paints a picture') to highlight his core messages, he brings us noteworthy images and phrases: 'the Dementia Train', 'the Dementia Dad and Dementia Son', 'dementia...like a thief in the night', 'the silent scream' and 'the crying room'.

With an endorsement from Alzheimer's Research UK, and royalties dedicated to them, 'Our Dementia Journey' is a succinct and heartfelt account of the issues surrounding dementia and the challenges faced by sufferers and carers alike. The personal nature of the content serves to add depth and quality to the work, making this an invaluable aid, comfort and guide to all those confronting the ordeal of this cruel illness.

We should all be grateful to Pat for this contribution to our understanding of how dementia affects lives.

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