‘I CROAK. I DON’T SING’
For Jacqueline, singing is not only something she likes, but also something she did when she was working: She used to work in childcare and would sing to the children.
Two years after retirement, she began to develop symptoms of dementia. The diagnosis “was a shock to all of us, to her as well”.
“She’s like, ‘Don’t tell anyone’, that kind of stuff. But after a while she accepted it, and then she (put a brave face on) it. And she doesn’t run away from it any more,” said Charmaine.
“Right from the beginning, Mum would be physically much weaker. But there was a stabilising period where she could walk on her own and everything. Then (with the) circuit breaker and all that, it was a steep decline.”
Charmaine often uses an analogy to describe her mother to people. “Our Internet is very fast, right: 3G, 4G, then 5G. Mum’s still on dial-up. So wait for the ‘eeeee’, then the answer will come,” she said.
“She’s still herself. Her personality is there: She’s funny, she’s smart … just much slower.”
