Dementia Support Line
Mum was diagnosed in March 2020, just a few days before the first Covid lockdown. Unfortunately, this meant it was a year before she saw any specialist. We tried to...
One day my Dad had been to feed my sister's dog at...
My grandfather, Charlie was a fit , healthy man for the majority of his life . He was a small holder and market gardener, outdoors most of the time …fair weather or...
My wife was diagnosed with dementia six years ago....
My granddad was a lovely old man, who when I was small taught me how to read and instilled in me a love of books that I still have. As he grew older he developed...
For my lovely Dad Cyril Langley who fought dementia with courage and bravery and always smiling such lovely memories if i have half of his courage i too can conquer...
Albert Evans was my cousin. We grew up together in a large family. We both married and had families. Our wives got on really well together, so we spent a lot of our...
I have a friend in a care home l try to visit when l...
My donation is in memory of my friend and godmother to my daughter Maggi , an amazing lady who nursed for many years looking after the sick and passed away in...
My Mother Sylvia looked after my Father, he had...
I wear my badge with pride for my mum who lives with...
When my Father died we noticed some strange...
Mum was diagnosed in March 2020, just a few days before the first Covid lockdown. Unfortunately, this meant it was a year before she saw any specialist. We tried to keep her safe, but she didn't understand why she had to stay at home. After a few weeks, we decided to carry on as if Covid wasn't happening. The government advice was to look after the vulnerable and continuing as normal was the best decision. Mum improved to the extent that occasional lapses of memory and confusion became the new normal. While almost everyone caught Covid, sometimes more than once, Mum, Dad and I never did. Not once and never have. We were just lucky. It's 6 years now and Mum has deteriorated. She had a spell in hospital last year, but was eventually discharged. She's back living at home. It's often frustrating, and you have to take the rough with the smooth, but it's not too bad. Occasional respite is important though.
David
One day my Dad had been to feed my sister's dog at lunchtime and on his way home only a mile away he approached a roundabout and had no idea where home was. It really scared him..He didn't drive again. He began on medication but his decline and going back to his childhood was rapid..The day before his last day with us he managed a joke and made me laugh and that is my last memory of my Dad aged 90. His personality had been changing and he had become quite short tempered prior to the occurrence. We didn't know the signs we were not prepared. We were lucky it was a short time. He was kind and lovely. I can't imagine others who lose their kind person to be left with a stranger.. Love you Dad you were an amazing Butcher and kind.
Mel Ball
My grandfather, Charlie was a fit , healthy man for the majority of his life . He was a small holder and market gardener, outdoors most of the time …fair weather or foul . What he didn’t know about nature wasn’t worth knowing!
Charlie developed dementia and we , the family , started to lose him ,gradually at first . But one day he opened the door to me and told me to go away …he didn’t know me any more . Although he was still sound physically he was suffering from something cruel , insidious and incurable.
So this is for Charlie . 1910 - 1997
Charlie developed dementia and we , the family , started to lose him ,gradually at first . But one day he opened the door to me and told me to go away …he didn’t know me any more . Although he was still sound physically he was suffering from something cruel , insidious and incurable.
So this is for Charlie . 1910 - 1997
Patricia
My wife was diagnosed with dementia six years ago. Over that time she quote really well always said that she dreaded not recognising myself our two daughters and our granddaughter. Sadly she passed away on the 23rd of January this year not due to dementia but she had a blockage in her bowel which stopped the blood from getting through to her organs. We all miss her very much but glad she didn’t get to a stage in her dementia where she didn’t recognise her family God bless her.
GERALD JACQUES
My granddad was a lovely old man, who when I was small taught me how to read and instilled in me a love of books that I still have. As he grew older he developed dementia and often I was the only person who could cope with him.
He died when I was just 16 yrs old and to this day I still miss him even after 60 years.
He died when I was just 16 yrs old and to this day I still miss him even after 60 years.
Roz
For my lovely Dad Cyril Langley who fought dementia with courage and bravery and always smiling such lovely memories if i have half of his courage i too can conquer this illness miss your sweet smile bye for now your daughter rebecca xx
Rebecca
Albert Evans was my cousin. We grew up together in a large family. We both married and had families. Our wives got on really well together, so we spent a lot of our leisure time together. Albert was a genuine, generous and kind man.
He was a master joiner, with a growing business. At one family celebration we noticed his concentration was poor when playing games. Then he began to loose jobs. His customers began to complain. His driving skills became erratic. He was then in his early 40s!! His character gradually changed.
Eventually he was diagnosed with Early Oet Altzimers. He didn't understand his diagnosis, and in the early 1980s, we didn't know much about the disease, or what to expect, either.
As the disease progressed we tried to support him and the whole family. Money became a problem as he could no longer work, and then his wife had to give up her job to look after him. He received some respite care, but eventually June could not manage him at home and he went into a carehome. He lived in the home for ten years. When he died aged 60, he had been bedbound for at least 3 years, recognising no one . Just existing!!... being fed, given some medication, and kept clean.
This nightmare journey of just one early onset Altzimers family demonstrates how important it is that research continues .
We still celebrate family occasions together. Albert is never far from our thoughts. His daughter is being married in May. Instead of gifts she has asked for donations to the Altzimers Society. My wife and I shall wear our Forget me Not flowers proudly at the wedding, in his memory. We loved him.
He was a master joiner, with a growing business. At one family celebration we noticed his concentration was poor when playing games. Then he began to loose jobs. His customers began to complain. His driving skills became erratic. He was then in his early 40s!! His character gradually changed.
Eventually he was diagnosed with Early Oet Altzimers. He didn't understand his diagnosis, and in the early 1980s, we didn't know much about the disease, or what to expect, either.
As the disease progressed we tried to support him and the whole family. Money became a problem as he could no longer work, and then his wife had to give up her job to look after him. He received some respite care, but eventually June could not manage him at home and he went into a carehome. He lived in the home for ten years. When he died aged 60, he had been bedbound for at least 3 years, recognising no one . Just existing!!... being fed, given some medication, and kept clean.
This nightmare journey of just one early onset Altzimers family demonstrates how important it is that research continues .
We still celebrate family occasions together. Albert is never far from our thoughts. His daughter is being married in May. Instead of gifts she has asked for donations to the Altzimers Society. My wife and I shall wear our Forget me Not flowers proudly at the wedding, in his memory. We loved him.
Philip Jones
I have a friend in a care home l try to visit when l can. When l go we discuss bible verses and sing hymns from our favourite hymnal. I need the book she remembers every lyric. Today l watched the appeal tv add for a badge so l made a collage using paper oil pastels scissors glue
Michelle Anne
My donation is in memory of my friend and godmother to my daughter Maggi , an amazing lady who nursed for many years looking after the sick and passed away in February
Sarah Jane
My Mother Sylvia looked after my Father, he had various health issues but Mum looked after him until he had to go into a Nursing Home. When Dad died in 2019 Mum then started showing signs of Dementia.
The last two years have been difficult as she insisted on staying in her own home with Carers calling twice a day.
After a fall she was taken into hospital, then a Nursing Home, where she died in March 2026.
It is a cruel disease and it affects all the family. We loved her so much, but in the end she had no quality of life and did not recognise us.
She is now with Dad and at Peace. Her Care from Home Carers, Hospital Staff to Nursing Home Staff was kind, considerate and professional.
Out thanks go to all the wonderful staff that look after our families whilst suffering from Dementia.
The last two years have been difficult as she insisted on staying in her own home with Carers calling twice a day.
After a fall she was taken into hospital, then a Nursing Home, where she died in March 2026.
It is a cruel disease and it affects all the family. We loved her so much, but in the end she had no quality of life and did not recognise us.
She is now with Dad and at Peace. Her Care from Home Carers, Hospital Staff to Nursing Home Staff was kind, considerate and professional.
Out thanks go to all the wonderful staff that look after our families whilst suffering from Dementia.
Sandra
I wear my badge with pride for my mum who lives with dementia from been a independent lady living on her own since my dad passed 5 years ago to been in a care home and struggling to remember who I am
Dementia strips you of your memory’s and dignity
We still laugh and be happy but this disease is so cruel please support Alzheimer’s society
Dementia strips you of your memory’s and dignity
We still laugh and be happy but this disease is so cruel please support Alzheimer’s society
Bradley
When my Father died we noticed some strange behaviours of my Mum. It’s like when my Dad was around he unknowingly hid mums dementia, they were a team, Dad didn’t notice anything was a miss with Mum, old age and that was that. She was a very kind Mum and would do anything for anybody, she brought up my Sister Julie and me and we were smothered with love. She lived just up the road, about 400m from our Cottage here in West Cornwall, my Wife Rachael who was an absolutely star would make 5 meals and I would carry one up for Mum. Our two Daughters were 15 and 13 at this time and after some near misses with using a fork in the toaster to retrieve the toast, leaving non food items on the hob with hob on high and getting a taxi and disappearing we decided to rent out our cottage and move in with her. This was a very very hard thing we had taken on but we wanted to protect her from herself. Many unusual events took place and my Wife and Daughters were brilliant with it all. We made the house safer and I put alarms in place so that we knew if she had jumped out of the bed at 2am. Everything that could be done was done but alas over time she had a fall and broke her hip and that put even more strain on the family. We did get her home from hospital but walking was now very difficult for her so she needed lots of support from us. She thought that I was my Dad John most days but that’s just a compliment as he was a great chap and one day she told us that she’d had a difficult birth with me and they flew up from Treliske Hospital to Derriford Hospital 60 miles away in a helicopter, we did laugh later on when she had gone to bed, bless her, she believed it! We would take Mum out to various visits and gave her the best times we could give her until she had to go into care as we were broken trying to look after her. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are terrible things as you lose your loved one repeatedly for many years before their passing. Miss you Mum x
Robert
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However you’ve been affected by dementia, this is a place for you to share your Forget Me Not story with other people who get it.