Dear Editor,
Alzheimer’s Society staff, supporters, volunteers and people affected by dementia came together to mark Dementia Awareness Week at over 600 events around the country, including around 60 in the south east.
We asked people to confront the condition head on and I was touched by the notes people wrote, including this one: ‘Dear Dementia, I would rather not have had you, but I’m learning to live with you, with a lot of help from my friends at Alzheimer’s Society and my wife. It’s not the end of the world!”
It is important that we continue talking about and confronting dementia so that we build on the awareness raised this week.
Alzheimer’s Society is here for anyone affected by the condition and there are lots of ways we can help you. Call our National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or visit alzheimers.org.uk/DAW
Angie Newing
Operations Director for the South
Alzheimer’s Society
[Note from Dep. Ed. Dementia can be a tragedy for the sufferer but it is also hard on the carer. To see a loved one descending into a state where they no longer know who you (or even, they) are, and watching the personality change that often goes with it, can be heartbreaking. It is also hard work, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with often no break. I know, I was a carer for my mother for several years as she descended from a strong, highly intelligent and very active woman into a twilight world of her own and requiring absolutely everything to be done for her. Finally the time came when she had to go into a specialist home and although I visited regularly while she was there, it came as a shock the first time (of many times) that she asked where her son (ie me) was. It didn’t matter how often I explained who I was, I don’t think it ever really penetrated. So give a thought for the carers, and if you are one and feel you are having to cope all alone, do contact either of the bodies above. They can help.]