After a period of family illness and her own ill-health, which had left the whole family at a very low point financially, Jane wanted to start again and rebuild her career and her family’s circumstances. She had previously worked in dementia care and seen examples of bad practice, but also some really excellent care which has informed what she has done since. She wanted to establish a training company which would teach people how to care for people with dementia well. Because she hadn’t been working and had no funds to put in, no one would support her until she met Purple Shoots – after that first meeting she said she could see a chink of light beginning to shine at the end of the long dark tunnel she’d been in.
With the loan she established her business and it took off – training people from the public and private sector and becoming recognized as an expert in her field. As a result, she was encouraged to write a book and this has just been published with the help of another small loan from Purple Shoots. The book is called “Finding the Light in Dementia” and is aimed at families and individuals dealing with dementia, a simple and practical guide to the best things to do both to help come to terms with it and to help the person with dementia. It is a great book – everyone should have a copy – and it is a testament to her courage, perseverance and determination and her passion for people with dementia.