Who Am I?

About the Book

Who Am I? is the story of many older people living with dementia. A challenging behaviour equals an unmet need, and people experiencing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are often in places they don’t remember and don’t feel safe. Often as caregivers, our primary role is to establish trust and give them a place to feel safe. It is important to check basic needs often because people can’t always tell you what they need. As family, it can be hard to see the person you love becoming more frail. But sometimes, the small things can help them to be comfortable and remember who they are.

About the Author

Melissa Gole is a nurse who has dedicated much of her life to aged care. She holds a bachelor of nursing, graduate certificate in gerontology and rehabilitation, and a master’s of science in dementia care through the University of Wollongong. She is the author of the book Blue. She is a mother of one and enjoys belly dancing. She has a passion for aged care and enabling people to be treated as people. Wandering people are her favourite kinds. Her mother and father passed away in 2017 and 2018, and she came to appreciate the difficulty of frailty in old age and learned a lot about anxiety in cognitive impairment.