Letter from Karen Templeton (From Swindon Advertiser)

Letter from Karen Templeton

9:42am Friday 3rd July 2009

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DEMENTIA Awareness Week July 5-11, 2009.

Did your readers know that there are currently 700,000 people with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, in the UK? It is estimated that there will be over a million people with dementia by 2025.

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 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 them have never been able to take a break since they started caring.

I work at a place called Vitalise Netley Waterside House in Southampton, an accessible respite break centre for disabled people and carers run by national charity Vitalise. Each year hundreds of people enjoy desperately-needed breaks with us.

We regularly have special weeks for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their partners - there’s one coming up in October and another 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 our special Alzheimer’s Weeks, please call 0845 345 1970 or email bookings@vitalise.org.uk.

KAREN TEMPLETON

Vitalise Netley Waterside House

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