What a difference a day makes - Joan and Bob's story

This article first appeared in the Autumn 2005 issue of the branch newsletter

"Tuesday 3 May 2005. Just another day but a day which was to make quite a difference in our lives. This was the day we had an appointment at the Memory Clinic for the results of my husband’s tests. The doctor said there was good news and bad news. Your mind goes into overdrive! First we were told there was no tumour – good news. Then we were told the results of the CT and SPECT scans had shown that my husband was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The questions we had been asked and the written questionnaires we had filled in during an earlier visit to the clinic, all pointed to something more than memory loss.  I had wondered whether it had been an over active imagination during the past two or three years that maybe my husband was not as bad as I had imagined.

Things had been going downhill for quite a while, too many things which were not right. When my husband was at our GP’s for a check up, I asked the nurse, when he had left the room, if perhaps the doctor could see him as his symptoms were worrying. An appointment was made in late February to see our doctor, and soon after we were referred to see specialists at the Memory Clinic, culminating with the diagnosis on 3 May. I attended a number of information talks run by the Newcastle branch in June. After only the first session, it was amazing how everything I’d noticed about my husband now slotted into place. Alzheimer’s is a disease that you hear about but you do not know it intimately.

With the help of the drug Aricept which my husband has been taking, things are "bowling along." I know he is slightly worse but I am accepting and now know about the way this disease can develop. The Society is a great help and a MUST for carers."

Younger people with dementia - John's story

This article first appeared in the Summer 2005 issue of the branch newsletter

"When I was told that I was suffering from dementia, I was devastated!  My first thought was why me?  I thought this was an old person’s illness and I was too young to get dementia. I was only 55 years old at the time of the diagnosis. On that day and the following days, I became more and more quiet and unable to talk or speak about it. I became very depressed, moody with long periods of not speaking with family or friends.

Sometimes I would not speak for days except for short answers of yes or no to questions from my wife. She soon learnt my good and bad days, which I still suffer from! With the help of staff from the hospital and the local branch of the Alzheimer’s Society, I read all I could about dementia and the effects of the illness could have on my home life and my family.

I have Vascular dementia and I know that I could stay the same for a long time, or a very short time. With this thought in mind I started to put my financial affairs in order, including setting up an Enduring Power of Attorney and informing the banks. My wife attends meetings with other carers and they have become good friends. We live from week to week and enjoy each day as it comes. We know we are not alone and help is available if we need it."

People with dementia and the local church

Rev'd David M Walton, Minister, Heaton United Reformed Church, Newcastle upon Tyne

This article first appeared in the Winter 2004 issue of the branch newsletter

"At Christmas the Christian Church celebrates the coming of Jesus, the Christ, into the world and into peoples’ lives. A religious faith gives people an awareness of their relationship with God and the world, and a sense of the meaning and purpose of life, its value and importance. Yet this importance to people with dementia may not be recognised or accepted by those who care for them.

Professionals are not well trained to deal with this and carers may not share beliefs or it may be seen as too sensitive an area to deal with. As a result people with dementia may no longer be taken to church or included in activities. Perhaps it is feared that their behaviour may appear inappropriate?

Sometimes other forms of ministry are more appropriate with a simpler service for a small group perhaps in a home or care centre on a regular basis.  In my experience people even in the later stages of dementia understand that this is something special and most people do join in with familiar hymns and particularly the Lord's prayer. The familiar ritual, symbols, colours, hymns and prayers, can not only bring back memories laid down in childhood, but also increase a sense of spiritual well being and security. It may also be a time that the families and carers who perhaps feel they too have become disconnected from a faith community can regain that connection and support."