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    • Life with Frontotemporal Dementia an exhibition

LIFE with frontotemporal dementia

A photography exhibition at the 11th International Conference on Frontotemporal Dementia
We invited people who were either living with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), or perhaps knew a family member, friend or colleague with the diagnosis or working in the field, to submit their digital photograph to the 'Life with Frontotemporal Dementia' Art Show. The exhibition was held in Sydney at the 11th International Conference on FTD in 2018. We received beautiful images that shared individual FTD stories through a unique lens.

The exhibition

Memory of earlier years

frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: D Dickins. Glenis loved music and she still finds it very satisfying to make lots of sounds on her electric organ.

Caring for one another, no matter the age or diagnosis

frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: D Saladine. This is a photo of my husband Michael (who has frontotemporal dementia) & our granddaughter Chloe, walking home from Chloe’s day care together in Brisbane. I think it is a gorgeous photo of Michael & Chloe together. Michael happily carrying Chloe’s back pack, both walking together, both comfortable in each other’s company but neither actually sure exactly which way to go. The photo depicts the love, kindness & caring they have for one another. With them both trying to help one another. It is so sad when Michael gets Chloe’s name mixed up, or is unable to recall her name, but Chloe chooses to ignore this little error. “It’s just part of Poppie being Poppie.”

Joining the pieces

Frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: D Lee. Glenis, diagnosed with FTD in 2011, loves to do needle work. This photo shows the wonderful team effort to keep Glenis happily occupied stitching onto crocheted squares that her daughter Malinda has made, with Jin the care worker from Just Better Care sewing the pieces together.

Visit in care home

Frontotemporal Dementia
Photographer: A Griffin. DJ age 65. Diagnosed with the behavioural of FTD in late 2012, just after her 60th birthday. She has three children, a son and two daughters. Looked after by her husband Alastair until she went in residential care in May 2016.

I may not be able to drive now, but I sure enjoying mowing

Frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: P Trompf. This is a photo of my husband Colin, taken at my cousin’s property near Grafton. Colin was diagnosed with behavioural variant FTD in 2017 after a lengthy and frustrating period of investigations and numerous specialist appointments. These days he enjoys watching television, going to the seniors gym and seeing his children.

Kell’s Ride

Frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: E McLeish. Greg Kelly was diagnosed with younger onset dementia at the age of 59. Now, he’s challenging the stigma and raising awareness of a disease which affects over 60,000 people in New Zealand by riding a Harley Davidson the length and breadth of Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Greg is passionate to complete the rides despite the adversity he faces with his diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia.

Fading to Grey

Frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: L Sweaney. BEFORE: Extremely social, positive, spontaneous, empathetic, humorous and confident. I loved a challenge. For 25 years I worked as an educational consultant, a career where exemplar communication skills were the key. Organisation, facilitation, presentation of conferences and workshops, including working international educational leaders, researching new educational trends, writing papers, submissions and reports were core to my job. NOW: POSITIVE but LESS confident, PLANNED and LESS spontaneous, empathetic but LESS humorous. Still SOCIAL but it’s DIFFICULT and TIRING to SUSTAIN CONVERSATION. I’m MORE of a LISTENER than a contributor. The TELEPHONE is now my WORSE NIGHTMARE. FRUSTRATION is creeping into my life by having someone RECHECK my writing. Researching into PNfA is interesting but I feel a little DAUNTED by the future. GRATEFUL for having the OPPORTUNITY to create my own synthetic voice through MODEL TALKER. COMPLETELY HUMBLED by the LOVE of my Partner, family and friends.

My man with FTD; strong farmer, loving husband and father

Photographer: J Holland. My husband Rod has a diagnosis of behavioural variant FTD. The first two photos of Rod were taken 20 years apart. In one he is the strong sexy man I married. In the other, taken at his daughter’s wedding in 2015, he remains the loving beautiful man I know. The third is taken at our first Christmas after his diagnosis. While there is much sadness, we still share many laughs.
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Happy times

Frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: A Griffin. DJ and her husband at home on the occasion of her 63rd birthday. Now she is in good health but spends a lot of time walking, often quickly, in the building and grounds of the establishment she lives in.

Last trip to the snow

Frontotemporal dementia
Photographer: A Griffin. DJ was first diagnosed in Nov 2012 with a brain MRI. This is photo of DJ with her young carer was taken in Dolomites in Italy in January 2016. Previously she would have skiied the black run, but a few months after this photo, she went into care.

Sydney FTD Carer Support Group

frontotemporadementia
Photographer: D Dickins. Tears, laughter, support, advice, wisdom, friendship, biscuits.

About Frontotemporal Dementia 

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is a form of dementia that affects behaviour, language skills and movement. It is Australia’s second most common degenerative disease that causes dementia in adults under 65 years, yet remains largely unknown in the wider community. 

Frontier Clinic

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