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My mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of...
My lovely husband of 36 years over three weeks changed from a fit farmer looking after cows and driving tractors to being unable to function. His GP was fantastic ,...
I have looked after my dad (aged 75) all by myself since I was 16. My parents divorced when I was 15 so the responsibility was left to me. I am the youngest of 6 and...
My mum has vascular dementia and has been living in a care home for over 2 years for her own safety. Mum worked from the age of 16 to over 65. She married, raised 2...
Glynnis is my partner of 22yrs . Around 8yrs ago dementia started to rear its ugly head, things went missing and there was a loss of interest in all the things she...
My husband was diagnosed with early onset dementia (PCA) when he was 52. The initial diagnosis was eventually made by his being prescribed some medication (donepezil)...
It's a lonely road - the road of partners, family and...
My father died of undiagnosed dementia. I constantly had to fight to first get his GP to visit him at home as he was housebound and then to get an assessment from...
In2019 my wife had issues & after manyfailed tests put down to anxiety we retired in 2020 because she was struggling. I retired too to care for her. We tried to...
I knew there was something wrong with my amazing dad,...
I did not notice any difference in my husband until I had long term sick leave from work. I was diagnosed with stage 4 renal cancer that had spread to both of my...
My late Mum was diagnosed with vascular/Alzheimers....
My mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 62. She was a talented hair dressers and spent hours / days talking to people. Covid hit and she had to stop working. After coming out of the first lockdown I was helping her get her diary organised to start back to work again and I noticed she was struggling to understand days and dates. We went to the doctors and after a few tests and in 2021 mum was diagnosed. I definitely think being in lockdown with hardly any contact with people the Alzheimer’s came out in her.
Mum no longer works and I look after her full time. People ask how she is , I tell them mums well but it’s hard.
Anyone caring for someone needs help.
Of all the strange things she does she still has her sense of humour and can be very funny. She loves music and any excuse to dance. She still goes to Salou soul weekend every September with the help of mums friend.
Just because she has Alzheimer’s she still has to do the things she’s loves.
Mums best friend was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last year and this is becoming more familiar everyday.
More knowledge of the disease needs to be taught. All the factors of life that can contribute included.
We need to find a cure before things get really bad.
More specialist hospitals are needed
More help for carers especially financial help
I will be by mums side till the end ❤️
Mum no longer works and I look after her full time. People ask how she is , I tell them mums well but it’s hard.
Anyone caring for someone needs help.
Of all the strange things she does she still has her sense of humour and can be very funny. She loves music and any excuse to dance. She still goes to Salou soul weekend every September with the help of mums friend.
Just because she has Alzheimer’s she still has to do the things she’s loves.
Mums best friend was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s last year and this is becoming more familiar everyday.
More knowledge of the disease needs to be taught. All the factors of life that can contribute included.
We need to find a cure before things get really bad.
More specialist hospitals are needed
More help for carers especially financial help
I will be by mums side till the end ❤️
Nancy
My lovely husband of 36 years over three weeks changed from a fit farmer looking after cows and driving tractors to being unable to function. His GP was fantastic , he was admitted to hospital for tests and I was told he had delusions. He was sent home with no support initially but re-admitted 3 weeks later as his behaviour had worsened and he was not safe to be left. Dementia was not mentioned until I read his discharge letter. He was admitted to an NHS bed for 4months and now lives in a care home. I have found it devastating, the weirdness of having a husband but not knowing from day to day which bit of him will be present that day. The suddenness of the change and having to take on running his business feeling ill equipped to do so. Blessed by the support of his brother but feeling so bad that I can’t manage him at home on my own. I have wonderful friends but the loss of the retirement I expected and the shock of his diagnosis has been very hard to cope with.
I have looked after my dad (aged 75) all by myself since I was 16. My parents divorced when I was 15 so the responsibility was left to me. I am the youngest of 6 and they lived far away. There is little to no support from councils and I really struggled with the emotional and physical burden. I’m now at a stage where I have asked for help and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done! My dad is able to go out everyday with a carer and I’m able to work full time and live my life. I get to be his daughter again not his carer! If I have one piece of advise it is to ask for help! I was scared of what that would look like at my age but now we both get to live better and have a relationship that isn’t full of stress and burden. I am forever grateful to the lessons I have learnt and the part I have played. The government needs to do more to help funding and support. I got offered a two page leaflet and was sent on my way at the age of 16. Still now I have to pay for his care and his finances because there is no help. We should all be able to have our dads but it feels like he has been taken from me before he’s actually gone! I know it’s hard but it does get better I promise !
Saskia
My mum has vascular dementia and has been living in a care home for over 2 years for her own safety. Mum worked from the age of 16 to over 65. She married, raised 2 daughters and obtained an OU degree and had a successful career in the law. Mum no longer remembers me as her daughter and has little memory of her life. I had little support from the NHS and no support from social services as mum had over the threshold in savings. It doesn't matter how much money you have help is essential to the person suffering and the family. I'm a carer by profession and have still found help extremely difficult to find. Dealing with someone with dementia is one of the hardest things you can face.
Liz
Glynnis is my partner of 22yrs . Around 8yrs ago dementia started to rear its ugly head, things went missing and there was a loss of interest in all the things she loved including her family. Unfortunately, she was in denial on anything being wrong. It ended with her being sectioned, a terrible day. She is now safe in a home that is very caring. I still love her and see her most days a shadow of her former wonderful self.
Geoff
My husband was diagnosed with early onset dementia (PCA) when he was 52. The initial diagnosis was eventually made by his being prescribed some medication (donepezil) which I then, having read the enclosed notes, questioned the need for. The Consultant asked me why I thought the meds were necessary, and when I suggested to treat some form of dementia, he agreed. That was the appalling way we found out that he had this pernicious illness. Both of us, together.
He lived with it for 15 years and I cared for him, either completely or partly (even whilst in a care home) all of that time. I did this with virtually no help from family and only a little from friends. Doing so nearly drove me to a breakdown. Dementia tries to take two lives, the person living with it along with his/her primary carer/family member. The effect that this has on families and relationships can be devastating, the impact on working lives, the economy etc when occurring in earlier years is equally disastrous and must change.
This all sounds as if I am bitter, no, far from it. I have a good life now, albeit one without my husband.
It is however, just a plain statement of facts. To stop stories such as this, and others in this article continuing to happen, support, care, research and treatment must be a priority. We are civilised society and should expect no less.
He lived with it for 15 years and I cared for him, either completely or partly (even whilst in a care home) all of that time. I did this with virtually no help from family and only a little from friends. Doing so nearly drove me to a breakdown. Dementia tries to take two lives, the person living with it along with his/her primary carer/family member. The effect that this has on families and relationships can be devastating, the impact on working lives, the economy etc when occurring in earlier years is equally disastrous and must change.
This all sounds as if I am bitter, no, far from it. I have a good life now, albeit one without my husband.
It is however, just a plain statement of facts. To stop stories such as this, and others in this article continuing to happen, support, care, research and treatment must be a priority. We are civilised society and should expect no less.
It's a lonely road - the road of partners, family and carers. When your smart, funny, intelligent husband begins to disappear at the age of 62, it's terrifying. Young Onset Alzheimer's seems to be quite unusual and it's very hard to find appropriate support options for Martin. The options just don't fit with his symptoms or age group. He is still physically fit and mobile - but mentally that's a whole different picture. Almost 2 years on from diagnosis, Martin is unrecognisable. His executive skills have all but disappeared, his personality is muted and he struggles now to find the words to express himself. He relies on me totally and yet he thinks he's ok. I fill our life with activities, trips, friends and family in a bid to keep him entertained. If there was a choice to run and not come back, I'd be gone, but I could never do that. So we continue our existence and thank God for our wonderful friends and family. I would be in a dark and sad place without them. They make me laugh, allow me to have an afternoon or evening to myself or just simply treat us like the happy, fun couple we used to be. It's not just the sufferer who is affected, it is everyone who loves them. It's hard not to feel bitter, but what would be the point, you just have to hold your head up and focus on getting through each day, one day at a time.
Mary
My father died of undiagnosed dementia. I constantly had to fight to first get his GP to visit him at home as he was housebound and then to get an assessment from social services.On the day social services finally visited him he suffered a fall which led to his hospitalisation, delirium and then death less than four weeks later. Social services finally offering four care visits a day even though social worker witnessed my father wearing dirty pants and a top, unable to walk or feed himself and unable to answer basic questions such as how old he was. He was prepared to leave him unable to get off the sofa unaided until carers arrived the next day. After the social worker left dad fell in the toilet, behind the door. We called an ambulance and he was admitted to hospital where he died. His death from dementia was inevitable but his suffering could have been prevented.
Tracey
In2019 my wife had issues & after manyfailed tests put down to anxiety we retired in 2020 because she was struggling. I retired too to care for her. We tried to continue as normal but in 2/23 shewas diagosed with mixed dementia. April 24 saw a dramatic change with delusions, suicide threats & aggression. Eventually she was sectioned on 16/4/24 & taken into care eventually entering a care home on 5/8/24. On 27/4 i had a heart attack followed by 2 cardiac arrests. I recovered & visit daily. My wife is safe but scared when i leave. She is physically well & fit but cant work out how to simply wash her hands. She is still in there but sometimes she behaves completely out of character. I try to be strong but it breaking my heat everytime i leave her.
Mike
I knew there was something wrong with my amazing dad, he had been a maths lecturer before retiring and loved spending time with his grandchildren. He forgot all his PIN numbers for his bank cards which was not like him, he also left his granddaughter at school, after forgetting to pick her up.
He was diagnosed with Altzimers in January 2019 and he died in December 2021. These 2 years we spent as a family fighting for everything, there was no help from higher up organisations as they don’t see it as important, we were refused a blue badge as we were told it’s Altzimers it didn’t justify a blue badge,Why ??? But in the process of trying to get help you are watching that person you love, who has brought you into the world slowly dying infront of you. I received a lot of help from the Altzimers society of which I thank you.
He was diagnosed with Altzimers in January 2019 and he died in December 2021. These 2 years we spent as a family fighting for everything, there was no help from higher up organisations as they don’t see it as important, we were refused a blue badge as we were told it’s Altzimers it didn’t justify a blue badge,Why ??? But in the process of trying to get help you are watching that person you love, who has brought you into the world slowly dying infront of you. I received a lot of help from the Altzimers society of which I thank you.
Frances
I did not notice any difference in my husband until I had long term sick leave from work. I was diagnosed with stage 4 renal cancer that had spread to both of my lungs. We were together 24/7 when covid hit, and it was then that I noticed changes in him. He was very forgetful. He could not remember recent events, people we met or where we had been, yet he remembered things from years ago. I encouraged him to go to the Dr, who sent him for tests. He also had a brain scan and was then told he had Frontotemporal Dementia. I have since noticed other changes in him such as mood swing, he can be verbally aggressive, to anyone not just me, he has stopped doing any activity, preferring to stay in bed, sometimes until after lunchtime. I attend a Marie Curie group for two hours once a week, that is the only break we sort of have from each other. He comes to Marie Curie with me where he used to do jigsaws but now prefers to sit and sleep. We go to a dementia group for two hour on every 3rd Monday afternoon a month. The sessions there are great. So much fun is packed into those two hours. The dementia volunteer do a fantastic job. Life can be very tough at times coping with his dementia and my cancer. I have treatment every 28 days. some times I do not feel well but have to force myself to be "normal" especially if my husband is in 'one of his moods'. These moods can last 1-2 hours, 1-2 days or 1-2 weeks. I am now retired. This was not how I had expected to spend to retirement, life throws all sorts at us and we just have to cope however we can
Wendy
My late Mum was diagnosed with vascular/Alzheimers. My mum’s dementia deteriorated quickly in Covid. Care she was receiving from out in community care was no good. My mum was neglected. My mum was bed bound unable to do things for herself. I had I fight to get her into a nursing home that suited her needs. Social services was not easy to talk to. It was also a big impact on myself and family well being. Each person and family needs the right help and support who’s loved suffers with this cruel disease that’s the biggest killer. Price of nursing care homes is absolutely ridiculous. I feel if you only come from middle class family they do not the right to the have best care as people who have money. It’s all about equality isn’t it? This needs sorting out! My mum had bedsores from where she had carers go into her flat that eventually went right down to her nerves on bottom where she was getting rotated and wasn’t prompting her medication as it was discussed because she wasn’t sound of mind to remember to take her medication. The fight to get her to a care home was appalling. A social work assistant done an assessment said she was to go home and what right did I have to say she was to go into nursing home. As apparently my mum had capacity. I thought only a social worker could do an assessment not a social work assistant. Has I was my mums support and carer of family I went through hell. I don’t want his to happen to another family suffering to be heard and get the support the person suffering with dementia as well as a good support for family going through it and to understand it.. I did manage to get my belated mum into a lovely nursing home by me where I had to find extra top up £98 a week. Of o couldn’t fund it they were going to put my mum in another care home quite far from me. Visiting would of been 11 am -4pm week days not weekends. Where I work and my mother would not get a visit from her grandchildren. Unfortunately my mum passed November 2023. I feel if I could of got her into nursing home earlier maybe she would of been a lot more stronger with the right support.
Bethan
Share your story
Help bring dementia out from behind closed doors and tell us, what is your reality of dementia?