Heartache of seeing husband with dementia slowly dying

Valerie Davison of Long Sutton Valerie with pictures of her and and husband, whose in dementia care.

20th December 2013

A Long Sutton woman who is watching her husband “slowly dying before her eyes” has welcomed a global commitment to find a cure for dementia by 2025.

At the first ever G8 dementia summit in London last week, leading nations vowed to fund research to combat the relentless brain destruction that strikes so many.

The global number of dementia sufferers is expected to treble to 135 million by 2050 and Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to commit £132million for research, to be doubled by 2025.

However, for Valerie Davison (72), the promise of help has come too late.

Mrs Davison thought her husband, Jack, was just getting forgetful when the early signs of dementia began six years ago. She said: “He started forgetting things and I thought it was just old age, but then it got worse.”

IT team raise over £90,000 for carers’ charity

A TRIATHLON squad from Skelmersdale helped fundraisers from the Co-operative’s IT team raise more than £94,053 for their charity of the year, the Carers Trust.

The Skem runners, swimmers and cyclists organised by Nadine Burns, John Jones and Stephanie Moran, raised £1,200 for the charity.

Will you be lonely this Christmas?

For most people this is probably the busiest time of year.Nights spent at parties and catching up with friends, culminating with a Christmas surrounded by family.

But the festive period is not like that for everyone.

Age UK estimates about 450,000 will be spending this Christmas alone.

A combination of the ageing population and the fact families are dispersed across the country – and abroad for that matter – means it is not always easy to get together.

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, says it is a “chilling” thought, which combined with the shorter days and poorer weather, results in the festive period being one of the most vulnerable times of year for the frailest in society.