I am Director of Research at the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and based at the Sir James McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Unit at Hollywood Private Hospital.
I am also the Foundation Professor of Ageing and Alzheimer’s disease at Edith Cowan University, Joondalup.
As a medical researcher, my work specifically involves trying to understand Alzheimer’s disease and developing an early diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s as well as undertaking clinical trials to effectively prevent Alzheimer’s.
The McCusker Foundation also conducts clinical trials directed at reducing symptoms and improving the quality of life of people who already have Alzheimer’s.
I am married with three children and attend Santa Clara Parish in Bentley, where I am the president of the Santa Clara Bentley Conference for St Vincent de Paul.
I have taken a break from being an acolyte at my parish since I became carer to my father. He suffered from dementia and passed away last May.
Alzheimer’s is traumatic for family members. Someone described it to me as a “36-hour day”.
I am 56, so relatively young to be a carer compared to spouses who care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.
My brother Vernon and I looked after my father on the weekends.
He had a form of dementia called vascular dementia, which basically meant the blood vessels of the brain were damaged, leading to the normal functioning of the brain becoming compromised.
Dad seemed to understand everything but he reached a stage where he wouldn’t do anything.
His memory and understanding of what was happening around him was OK, but he just gave up and resisted being helped. So washing him and feeding him were a big deal.
Dealing with his behaviour was challenging.
The experience with dad made me appreciate elderly people who are looking after their sick spouses and how difficult it is for them when they are often frail themselves.
I am amazed by them as they are so giving and do whatever it takes to care for their loved one without complaining.
What has been disappointing is there have been so many clinical trials for Alzheimer’s and they have all failed in the last 20 years.
The problem is that these treatment trials started so late.
Once you have serious memory problems the brain is too badly damaged and so that’s why we are trying to develop an early diagnostic test.
The great news is in the last six years we have been able to diagnose Alzheimer’s as much as 20 years earlier before the brain is severely damaged.
This breakthrough has allowed us to look at prevention programs.
The earlier you come in, the better the help you can get and I think the exciting thing on the horizon is that we are having drugs now that can treat the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s.
These drugs target a toxic protein in the brain called beta amyloid.
I don’t advertise my faith at my work but it definitely influences me to be more caring and supportive to people.
For instance, if one of our members is struggling, I look at how we can help that person by identifying and enhancing their individual strengths, rather than focusing on their weakness.
It is very rewarding helping them identify their specific talents and find their inner strength to go forward and become valuable contributors to the team.
As well as gaining new knowledge through research, we also give advice about improving the quality of life for patients and carers.
The Alzheimer’s Association provides practical help to carers and has helped many families in WA.
Doctors are busy people and patients and carers need so many questions answered.
They might say: “My dad’s got Alzheimer’s. What do I do? I’m terrified”.
So I offer emotional support to people who come to me. It’s not my official job but I love doing it.
I hope in future there will be a service for pastoral care to all in need and I want to campaign for it.
My work keeps me very busy and I find I pray a lot during the day. I usually pray when I am in my car which is at least about four or five times a day! I say some set prayers.
One in particular that my mother taught me when I was five is called the Memorare (composed by St Bernard of Clairvaux).
It is a beautiful prayer and I always pray it. Obviously I have a wonderful relationship with Mother Mary.
I also pray for my family, friends, and people I am aware of that are suffering.
I feel that a lot of my success in my research has been because of my spirituality.
My faith plays a major role in how I conduct myself. I’m definitely not a preacher, but I note people who practise their faith like my father who taught by example.
My mother was the biggest influence on my faith because she was the world’s best teacher who taught me with so much love. I think a lot of my teaching skills came from my mum.
She was a lady who was patient, passionate and strove for excellence.
She taught me to practise acts of faith, hope, love and charity. I believe very strongly in each one. T
hey have become the cornerstones of what I strive for.
That is why I was uncomfortable with the Federal budget that was fantastic for research but also tied to the proposed $7 co-payment by the sick for Medicare services.
Through my work with St Vincent de Paul, I have seen people who are really suffering.
If the budget remains like this, it will impact very badly on them. There needs to be a different way.
Our Santa Clara Bentley Conference for St Vincent de Paul is made up of seven people. When my father was ill and I had heart problems, these people took over for me and kept going. There is this wonderful couple called Tom and Pat Thomas. They are great-grandparents and they are the most giving people I have ever met.
At St Vincent de Paul, we visit people who have problems like needing food, so sometimes we give them food or provide them with access to food or clothes.
But it is also about giving them care and emotional support. There was this one lady who was struggling and had a son that was very ill. She needed a proper car to take him around.
This couple went to great lengths to contact many agencies to support her cause and finally managed to get her a car.
What’s interesting about this husband and wife team is that he’s Anglican and she’s Catholic.
St Vincent de Paul welcomes anyone who wants to join, including people of different faiths, even though Catholics started it.
Religion can sometimes divide people and that is the worst thing that can happen. I love the word “universal”, which is actually what the word “Catholic” means.
I am encouraged by Cardinal Pell’s words when he said: “Catholics and Muslims have a lot in common. They have a deep faith”. That was a beautiful observation.
More recently, the person that gives me hope is Pope Francis.
He is connected with the wider community at large.
On his recent trip to Jordan he had a Rabbi and an Imam with him and I saw that as being inclusive of the two religions.
That is where I would like to see the world going. If we can use our faith to unify people that is a beautiful thing.