UK: BBC Documentary 'DAD' will depict real life experiences of members of Alzheimer's Society

LONDON, February 18, 2005 You have dementia and are living in a care home. The clothes that were once yours have now vanished. Unable to feed yourself, food and cups of tea are left to go cold. You are helped to get ready for bed – but it’s only three o’clock in the afternoon. These are real life experiences that people with dementia regularly face. On February 24, they will be tackled in ‘Dad’ a powerful drama to be screened on BBC ONE as part of Comic Relief’s Elder Abuse campaign. The Alzheimer’s Society is one of several major charities that are supporting the campaign in run-up to next month’s Red Nose Day. Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society says: ‘We welcome the increased public attention ‘Dad’ will undoubtedly give to this extremely sensitive and often overlooked issue. Abuse can strike in many different ways and doesn’t always leave a physical mark on its victims. We frequently hear of very subtle forms of abuse that people with dementia experience, sometimes on a daily basis without anyone confronting it. ‘We are encouraging and supporting people to speak out on behalf of those who can’t when they see people with dementia being abused. The mistreatment of people with dementia, either by a professional or a relative, is usually preventable through adequate support, training and ongoing supervision.’ Abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, verbal and financial. It may be a single act or a number of repeated acts. It can occur in any relationship and in any setting. Abuse happens when someone fails to treat another person with respect and violates their human rights. Case study one: ‘I now believe with hindsight that I witnessed abuse during a period of just over two and a half years when I was daily visiting a very dear friend with dementia. He was in a nursing home. Residents who were got up early would be wheeled to the breakfast table where they would have to sit for up to 2¾ hours waiting for their breakfast, without even a cup of tea, until the last resident was up and the staff had had a smoking break. In the second home my friend was moved to, the provision of incontinence pads was always a problem. An allocated supply was left out for night time use, and the rest locked away. The allocation was often not enough and I battled for 4-5 months to get sufficient pads and a toileting routine that would ensure that my friend was dry and comfortable. When my friend became very poorly I was told that I could not stay and sit with him during the night, due to fire regulations! I stood my ground and insisted, and within a few days he died. It was during the night and I was with him. This would not have been so had I allowed myself to be intimidated’ Case study two: ‘I feel very strongly about one aspect of the care home my husband was in. Residents were put in their night wear each day as early as 3pm…it was quite distressing to see elderly ladies trying to cover bare legs with their short nightdresses and no dressing gowns, just cardigans. The men did not fare much better – they did not have the advantage of either a dressing gown or a cardigan… I was married for 53 years and I loved my husband dearly. To see this was heartbreaking. Sadly my dear husband died in December 2004 in the care home. He was quite well looked after at the end and the nursing staff were very good to me. But there are many things which could be improved with just a little thought for the residents, which would make a very difficult illness more bearable.’ The Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers. Dad will be broadcast on BBC ONE at 8.00pm on Thursday 24 February. It stars Richard Briars, Kevin Whately, Jean Heywood and Sinead Cusack. It is the first time that Comic Relief has used drama over documentary to convey the emotive and serious message behind its grant work. The Alzheimer's Society is the Medical Journalists’ Association Medical Charity of the Year. The Alzheimer's Society is the first organisation to win this award. Over 750,000 people in the UK have dementia. More than half have Alzheimer's disease. Dementia affects one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80. There are 18,500 people in the UK under the age of 65 with dementia. www.alzheimers.org.uk