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Within two years of developing a rare and severe neurological condition my darling Dougie developed dementia like symptoms and by the age of 40 had forgotten where he studied his UG studies, details of our wedding, including the date, and many othet aspects of his life , his brilliant mind was reduced to finding simplistic ways of replacing words like milk, cup sheet etc, he repeated the same things over and over for hours on end. Watching a love one experience dementia is tragic, painful and isolating , the individual is so vulnerable and totally relies on carers paid and unpaid, the individual and their carers and family deserve so much more support than is currently given. Gail

Dementia is a cruel disease that desperately needs to be stopped so other family's don't go through this pain..
It's stole my nans light noone should go through what she did..please always show a person with dementia love they are still there they need you.
Love my nan always and forever rest in piece xx

I was finally told in January this year that yes I had dementia, twelve years ago I had some test Sandi was told that there was p possibility that vascular debenture and they would call me back in twelve months, well that didn’t happen , and so the years rolled on, back to the doctors many times with my memory loss and headaches finally , perhaps they just got fed up with me ,but I was taken for a scan , the result as I said in January finally told it was there, even shown the slides or whatever they are called, I thought that I was prepared for the results , but how wrong I was . Two add one thing both my mother and two aunts had died with it how am I copying ,my family and friends think I am getting on wonderfully well,but, I am not,I have blank sessions. , this Saturday at the shops I couldn’t work out how to get home, all I wanted was to get home to my dogs, that I admit has been the worst so far, but I know that my mind is ina fuzz and a turmoils a lot of the time and I am not copying with some day to day things, and yes it does frighten me my stable things are my cats and my dogs. The government I think does lip service to it all it does not affect them so, I have no faith in the government, I have told some people that I have dementia and watched the go away very quickly some not all My family most of them are helpful one daughter particularly , but I carnt describe what is inside my head. Finally I am frightened and dont know what to do, but tomorrow I will get up and indever ( carnt spell) to got through the day without making two many mistakes. I know there are a lot of people who are a lot worse than I am in many ways BUT it’s like a perminite death sentence with no idea of the end death does not frighten me but the ma nor of death does

My husband developed dementia after having a stroke.in December 2004. I cared for him for 11 years till he became to much for me and he went into the wonderful Clifton House Dementia Home where he had the best care. He died in June 2019 and his ashes are now in Stirling Castle where he served in Boy Service before joining the Argylls and serving 11 years with them.

My husband was misdiagnosed several years ago with anxiety and depression, now it turns out he has early onset Alzheimer’s, the memory was not the first simptoms , so after the memory started to get really bad after his knee surgery last year our new doctor referred him to a memory clinic where the diagnosis was made. So now we are trying to get as much help as possible, but there is not a lot unless you pay.

My father was diagnosed in 2020. He is still funny, gentle, rational, thoughtful and knows his family. But he is in a nursing home following a month in hospital when he was immobile and disoriented- it was disastrous and his care was very patchy.. He has forgotten how to walk and needs two carers to help him. He cannot live with my mother so we are paying £8k monthly with no govt support as he has no other health issues and dementia doesn’t qualify for Funded Nursing Care. It seems very unfair.

My husband Richard was a Senior social Worker he was diagnosed in 2016 but looking back his dementia started before then. We have always been a close couple I was 14 when I met him he was 16.We have been married 57 years and have known each other 62 years. Richard still will not accept there is anything wrong with him. My son had to do something for his dad so he walked Lands End to John O’Groats in 50 days and raised £21,721. for Alzheimer’s. Our daughter has helped taking us out to do shopping and treats to the garden centre. Both children have busy jobs and children of their own.I feel guilty for us interfering with their lives.
My husband will not let me out of his sight he follows me everywhere in the house this I find very hard as I need space. Sixteen months ago he did go to a day centre which he enjoys he thinks he’s a social worker helping people to enjoy their lives.Four days ago I have found out the Council is closing it down in April 2025. I made enquires with my M.P. I was told the last Government spent too much money hence it has to close. The thought of this will affect me greatly.My husband cannot talk to me so not much conversation he calls me his friend which I find very upsetting he does not know my name or what anything is called inside and outside the house. I find like most carers by the end of the day I am tired and exhausted cleaning toilets at least 7 times a day plus he wants to go out walking every day for a couple of hours as he is very fit apart from dementia I never thought that our lives would end up like this.

My husband has advanced dementia, now in a lovely care home.
He was a top judge, Master of the Rolls, Supreme Court Judge and a member of the House of Lords.
He is has no knowledge of this.

My fantastic Dad was diagnosed in 2019, with Early On-set Alzheimer’s disease. Early On-set is significantly rare, with only 2-8% of all dementia cases. 5 years later he is a completely new person with his needs becoming too much for us as a family to look after.

Dad is a hardworking, hilarious and kind person. He travelled the world for work and took hundreds of photographs of his travels. He was such a social butterfly, he would make everyone happier just by being in the room. He ran marathons and triathlons, even completing one with one our child seats attached to the back of the bike! He swam, ran, waterskied - anything active he had definitely done it! We would never have expected his diagnosis - it completely tore up our lives and still does 5 years later.

His symptoms started with a lot of confusion and his spacial awareness became an issue. My mum, older brother, younger sister and I, had to adapt very quickly.

Our support system, close family and friends have been a complete lifeline for us.

I wish people understood how it affects every aspect of your world and those around you. Relationships, work, finance. Every single aspect of my life has been affected since Dad’s diagnosis. Alzheimer’s destroys everything it’s in path. It robs people of their personalities, futures and money. The carers of those affected need to be supported more by Government, I was told when I was 22, my younger sister was just 19 and brother was 24.

Unpaid carers face financial difficulties from the day of diagnosis. Government needs to protect the unpaid carers.

Hardest Day of my Life. I had to put my wife into a care home in July I tried to carry on but it was hard going as I am 75 and she is 80, she had a fall in my absence because she ran off from the carer who was with her at the time, anyway after about two weeks in hospital she needed ongoing nursing care so best option was the care home, I visit two or three times a week she is okay has mood swings but constantly asks to go home but she did this when she was home but it seems that another house we had in 2010 is the one she remembers bits of, and she does not know who I am or anyone else but she knows her Mum and Dad in photos and sometimes thinks I am her Dad, very distressing visits as I feel I should take her back home and organize care around her but could run away again and everybody I speak with saying that is a bad idea so I just cannot make a decision it is a very hard tearful road I am on very sad.