Dementia Action Week 2023: Daughter speaks of Wakefield family's 'rollercoaster of emotions seeing someone you love slowly fade away'

Sarah Swift, 49, from Outwood, has described dealing with her dad’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and subsequent care as the illness took hold as a ‘roller-coaster of emotions’ for his loved-ones.

Her father, Brian Helliwell, was diagnosed with both Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia which is known as mixed dementia at the age of 70, five years ago.

It took two years to receive the diagnosis, after Sarah, her sister Sharon, and her mum, Jennifer Halliwell, 75, picked up on signs that something just wasn’t quite right.

Brian, who was a postman for 40 years, started to forget things and became confused in certain situations, which according to the NHS, are common early signs of dementia.

Sarah said: “My dad was an incredibly intelligent man, he would write quizzes and attend quizzes but we started to notice some changes.

"He stopped going to the quizzes because he struggled to answer the questions and would put things back in the wrong place, and they lived in the same house for over 50 years.

"We arranged for him to have a memory test done, which is the first step in getting a diagnosis, but he sailed through it, which is quite normal. We carried on as normal and thought it was just a little bit of memory loss because he is a bit older.

"I think this is where a lot of the stigma around dementia comes from. I think people think memory loss is associated with just getting older but it is often the first sign of dementia.

Brian, who has three grandchildren aged 25, 21, and 17, had a second memory test after his symptoms worsened.

Five years on, is now in the advanced stage and is cared for around the clock by his amazing wife, Jennifer.

Dementia is not a single disease and covers a wide range of conditions. there is no single test and a diagnosis is based on a combination of tests and assessments completed by a GP or a specialist.

And according to the Alzheimer’s Society, there is around 900,000 adults living with dementia in the UK, which is expected to rise to 1.6m in the next 20 years.

Speaking out ahead of Dementia Action Week (May 15 -21) to highlight the condition, Sarah added: “The last five years have been a true emotional rollercoaster.

"My parents are my world and seeing my mum crumble and my dad fade away has been truly heartbreaking.

"Due to the social care system, my dad is cared for 24 hours a day by my incredible mum.”

Sarah, who works as a Morrisons community champion, has organised an event where she is encouraging colleagues to walk, run or cycle as a team the distance of Lands End to John O Groats, during Dementia Action Week, with money going to the Alzheimer’s Society.

She will also be volunteering at the Alzheimer’s Roadshow in the Ridings Shopping Centre, Wakefield, on Thursday, May 18, as well as attending the Big Sing event organised by the Memory Action Group at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School on Saturday May 20, between 2pm and 4pm.

If you suspect yourself or your loved one has any signs of symptoms, contact your GP.

Help is available through the NHS or through charities such as Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.

To donate to Sarah’s online fundraiser, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rathbones23