KinCare Supports Memory Walk
Announcement posted by KinCare 18 May 2011
BAULKHAM HILLS, 18 May 2011
Over 800 people came to Leichhardt, NSW, on Sunday 15 May to raise awareness and funds through walking and jogging to support people and their families living with dementia. Almost 40 staff and families from KinCare participated in the event.
KinCare provides care to many clients living with dementia, and is a keen supporter of the Memory Walk. Stuart Miller, KinCare CFO, earned third place in the men's nine kilometre jogging event. Other participants from KinCare came from a range of fitness levels, and included families, with the youngest child being 15 months old.
Alzheimer's Australia NSW CEO The Honorable John Watkins was delighted with the participation, which was twice the numbers from 2010. In welcoming the participants to the event Mr Watkins spoke about how dementia is the third biggest killer in Australia, with some 1500 people diagnosed each week. Many of the participants in Sunday's Memory Walk were there in memory of people they have lost, or are lost to dementia today.
Chi Lam, Staff Manager for KinCare, participated in the walk on Sunday. Chi is expecting her first child in August this year. Chi encouraged KinCare staff to participate: “I thought it would be great to do it with the team, as really they would have no excuses because who can say no to a pregnant lady!” Unlike other community participants in the event, Chi has no personal experience with caring for a person with Alzheimer's, but she provides support on a daily basis to KinCare staff who are either dealing with it personally within their family, or caring for a client with dementia: “Sometimes there are sad stories but there are also funny ones too. Overall hearing the staff talk about it I can just sense their passion so it gives me great pleasure learning from our staff.”
All funds raised by the Memory Walk event go to providing improved services for people with Alzheimer's. KinCare will continue to support Alzheimer's Australia NSW and the many Australians living with Alzheimer's and dementia through their quality services. Dementia affects thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for between 50% and 70% of all dementias.
About KinCare:
KinCare is an Australian, family owned and operated organisation that specialise in providing in-home care services to meeting the needs of people with a disability, special needs or the frail aged who wish to remain at home. For more than 16 years KinCare has been caring for the community offering services such as meal preparation, social support, transport, housekeeping, personal care and nursing and has offices in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.