Looking Differently is Doing Differently

An estimated 446,500 Australians currently live with dementia. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare projects this number will more than double to over one million people in the coming decades. Changing the narrative around how we support people living with dementia is critical.

Human Forever is an award-winning documentary that inspires us to think differently about dementia. It calls on us to recognise that we are all part of the system. If we want to change things like locked dementia wards, we all need to act differently.

It was a privilege to have Teun and Jonathan drop into Bangalow on a national tour that focused mostly on the major cities. We might be a little biased, but this region is incredibly special. We are a community that knows how to look after each other. We saw that firsthand when our ‘Mud Army' rallied together to lead recovery efforts after the devastating floods. We see it right now as our local icon, the Bowlo, fights to keep its doors open.

We don't wait for systems to fix things; we show up for each other.

And that is exactly what Jo and Grescha have done. There is a beautiful synergy between the film's call to action, "Looking differently is doing differently," and Honey Bee Homes. Teun and Jonathan's vision is deeply similar to Jo and Grescha's: we remain human despite a diagnosis and deserve high quality and personalised care. Jo and Grescha didn’t wait for the Government to unlock the doors of traditional nursing homes. Instead, they worked hard to open the doors to three homes, not facilities.

Honey Bee Homes was proud to support this film, which brings this vital conversation to Australia and inspires a more compassionate and inclusive future for aged care. Thank you to everyone who came to support this critical conversation and to the Bangalow Film Festival.