Working Life: Julie Greene, lead tutor, learning and development team, Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI)

Caring for a family member with dementia can be overwhelming and emotional 

Julie Greene, lead tutor, learning and development team, Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI)

“I left school aged 16, so I didn’t follow the traditional career path. I started as a carer, but regular remarks that ‘You’d make a great nurse, Julie’ prompted me to go back and do my Leaving Cert, which I did, aged 20, and qualified as a nurse three years later. I subsequently worked in palliative care in Ireland and Britain.

“By the time I reached my 40s, I felt a bit burned out. It was around the time a relative was diagnosed with dementia. I reached out to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) and was offered some part-time work. What started as a few hours on its helpline gave me the confidence to put myself forward when the ASI was looking for a part-time tutor. I learned an awful lot from answering those calls and having those conversations