Dementia Action Week 2025

19th - 25th May 2025 is Dementia action week. If you're on this horrible journey, I'm thinking of you.

As you know, my mum has Lewy Body Dementia. She started to show symptoms before the pandemic. She was forgetting things, hallucinating and repeating herself. After an MRI scan and several memory clinic appointments, she was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and Vascular Dementia. It was hard to diagnose because of the similarities with Parkinson's disease. I had no idea that there were different types of dementia. Over time, she has lost the ability to walk, needs help to eat as she can't use her hands, and sometimes struggles to communicate. I know that we're very lucky to have carers so that she can stay at home though. She also has district nurses coming in to check on bed sores as she is bed bound. Mum also has my very protective dog looking after her several times a week!

Dementia is a massive mountain to climb. My father in law was recently diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, and so we're currently trying to get into a new routine with him and his new carers.

For anyone new to this journey, I would definitely recommend:

• Look at the dementia checker on the Alzheimer's Society's website.

• Speaking to your GP and requesting a memory clinic referral.

• Looking at the services offered by your local Adult Social care team.

• Visit Dementia UK for more useful resources, especially Admiral nurses (they may be able to come out to you, depending on where you live).

• Remember to take care of your own mental health too because this journey really will affect you. It's extremely heard watching a loved one completely change.