Alzheimer's Disease

Back to the Alzheimer's Disease film.

Back to Ruby's Room.

Ruby talks to Pat about Alzheimer's Disease.

Ruby: 10 across, description of tweedle dums purchases of drinks. Five letters. What the hell does that mean? Hi, welcome to Ruby's room where each week I discuss another mental health issue. It's part of the BBC Headroom campaign. And this week we are going to be talking about Alzheimer. I hate crosswords

Ruby: One in three people will die because of dementia. Alzheimer is the most common form. It's caused by a certain shortage of chemicals in the brains which stop messages to being transmitted in the brain. The symptoms increases as time goes on and it also don't just affect the elderly. 15 thousand people in the UK under the age of 65 are affected by it.

Interview

Ruby: Where you depressed when you found out your husband had Alzheimer?

Pat: I was depressed before I knew that he had Alzheimer. In fact the reason he got his am, diagnoses was because I went to see my doctor because I was so depressed by the first time ever.

Ruby: Because?

Pat: Because I didn't know who Peter was anymore, he changed, he was very introverted, not speaking much, am, just not communicative anymore.

Ruby: So, at what age did that happen?

Pat: Well, I think he was about 55.

Ruby: 55?

Pat: 55, yeah, he is 63 now.

Ruby: And did it happen one night or...?

Pat: No, it happened over a long period when I didn't know why Peter was behaving like he did.

Ruby: So what were the tell tales signs?

Pat: The tell tales signs was that the sociable man that I had met, good debater in politics or history, reading very interested in books, suddenly didn't have anymore interest in this sort of things, didn't want a social life, or socialise, didn't want to go out or do anything, he didn't know what to do, he didn't want to help in the garden, didn't want to help in the house...

Ruby: So he just sat in the house?

Pat: He sat there in the house, twiddling his thumbs, more or less, we would had a row, and I would say come on you got to mow the grass, and this sort of attitude.

Ruby: And he just sat there?

Pat: He would sit there.

Ruby: So, you are depressed and you don't have any suspicion that this is dementia?

Pat: No! Not at all!

Ruby: What do you think he's got?

Pat: I didn't know what he had got. I thought he was just being absolutely stubborn. But by the time our local GP said to me, I think Peter has Alzheimer and we'll have to take him to Adam Brooke's and they have got a memory clinic there and then we went through all the test, all this time I just knew then that was the problem.

Piece to Camera

So who runs the greatest risk, people that are over 65, people who are heavy smokers or drinkers, people with high blood pressure and people who are obese. Also if you live alone you run a higher risk of developing Alzheimer. And people who had head injuries or whiplash also run a higher risk.

Interview

Ruby: And how much did you know about Alzheimer's?

Pat: Not a lot, the jokes, my God I've been upstairs three times, I've got Alzheimer's. That sort of attitude.

Ruby: Day to day, what are you doing, you get up in the morning...

Pat: We get up in the morning, I now have to help Peter dress, he sleeps in a different room to me because I, I can't sleep, because he gets up in the night and that all sorts of things and I need my sleep. He is not so happy going out for meal anymore except if we are with friends, people who he really now because he is getting a bit slapdash about eating...

Ruby: So you spend 24 hours of the day with this man, all the time?

Pat: Yeah.

Ruby: Oh my God.

Pat: Well, I'm away today which is a fairly big threat for me coming up on the train by myself...

Ruby: So how is it to talk to somebody who you were in love when you married and he doesn't remember...

Pat: He doesn't remember, well, he is, I can't have a conversation with Pete anymore... He had a fantastic sense of humour but now his sense of humour when he does makes an attempt is very odd... I try to keep this banter going so that I don't get...

Ruby: Maybe you get on his nerves

Pat: Yeah, perhaps so

Ruby: Yeah, it could be.

Pat: He certainly gets on my nerves.

Ruby: Well, as long as you are honest...

Voice over

So what can be done: Medication in the early stages of dementia can maintain levels of chemicals in the brain however this treatments can have nasty side effects. People with Alzheimer will eventually need help with all daily activities such washing, eating and dressing. Care is often given by a partner and the stress of caring of a person with dementia can be enormous. It's important to plans ways of coping with the disease for the future. Having a routine can help as it minimizes the number of decisions that have to be made each day. Communication becomes increasingly difficult as the disease progresses. It helps to speak clearly and slowly, face to face and at eye level. People who language is impaired communicate through non verbal means so carers should pay close attention to body language. Physical contact can provide the person with Alzheimer with reassurance, love and warmth.

Ruby: So, I mean, how do you see the future?

Pat: Well, I try not to look at the future because honestly I think it's bend to be pretty awful, erm, obviously Pete is going to get worse... I see him asleep in a chair because he doesn't watch television he just goes to sleep I think this poor little thing, I mean, he really has got older.

Ruby: Does he know that there's something wrong with him?

Pat: Oh He knows he has got Alzheimer

Ruby: Does it break your hear

?

Pat: Of course it does

Piece to Camera

Ruby: There is no way of completely protect yourself against Alzheimer's but you can change your lifestyle to keep your brain and your memory in shape. First of all eat healthy food but reduce your salt intake, take regular exercise, watch your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels and keep your mind active, so do crosswords, do bingo, learn new languages, just keep it active, so, anyway, let's get back to this, so 13 across a pollen quote for a hat. Who the hell understands this stuff?