Dear Kizzi,
This week the world commemorates World Alzheimer’s Day as part of a month of action to raise awareness about this devastating disease. Did your readers know that there are currently over 820,000 people with dementia in the UK and over 176,000 in the Southern region alone?
It is estimated that one person in three over the age of 65 will die with a form of dementia and, as the population ages, this number can only increase. There will be over a million people with dementia by 2021.
Caring for a loved one with dementia can be a lonely, stressful experience. The feeling of disconnection is hardest to bear. There may be precious moments of clarity, when memories briefly return and the years roll away, but for the most part carers have to watch their loved ones drifting slowly away.
So many carers are in desperate need of respite, but opportunities to be relieved of the caring role for even a short time are few and far between. Over a third of carers have never been able to take a break since they started caring.
What’s worse, our own research shows that six out of ten carers are overwhelmed with feelings of guilt about the putting the person they care for into respite care, even for just a few days. Some carers are so consumed by worry that they end up not taking any respite at all, but simply struggle on at home, risking ill-health and complete breakdown in the process.
I work for a charity called Vitalise. We run the Netley Waterside House centre in Southampton, which provides essential respite breaks for people with disabilities and carers from the region. Each year many hundreds of people take desperately-needed breaks with us.
We regularly have special weeks for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their partners – there are some coming up in January. Relieved of all their care worries, carers can regain their strength and reconnect with their loved ones. They tell us that their breaks with us often make the difference between coping and despair.
If you or someone you care about is affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia and you would like to know more about Vitalise, please call 0303 303 0145 or visit www.vitalise.org.uk.
Colin Brook, Vitalise
www.vitalise.org.uk