It’s hard caring for loved ones with dementia says star Emma’s mother
ACTRESS Phyllida Law has spoken about the impact her mother’s dementia had on her and her family.
Ms Law, 83, who is the mother of actresses Emma and Sophie Thompson, looked after her mother, Megsie “Meg” Law, for several years after dementia took hold.
“The night time was particularly difficult,” she said. “At dusk my mother would often think she was in the wrong house, or she would call for breakfast in the middle of the night, not knowing what time it was.
“When you’re worn out because you haven’t slept, you can be in danger of losing your temper, and that’s hard.”
Meg, who was married to William Law, a journalist, died in 1994, aged 93.
Strain
Her daughter added: “I wasn’t as isolated as some people, and I was lucky as I had help from the people in my mother’s village and from my two daughters who also helped me financially.
“But caring for Ma, you couldn’t leave the house without taking her with you, so you did feel stuck a lot of the time.
“A treatment that could help people like my mother would be unimaginable.
“It’s extraordinary to think of the advances that have been made for diseases like cancer, and it would be wonderful to see that for dementia.”
Ms Law, who was born in Glasgow, has worked extensively in theatre and television, including Dr Who. There are about 700,000 people caring for dementia sufferers in the UK.
The charity Alzheimer’s Research UK has just published a study, Dementia In The Family, which highlights the emotional, physical and financial strain dementia places on carers.
Nearly a third of non- retired people over 55 worry family members will have to take care of them in later life. The YouGov study, commissioned by the charity, also found many people did not understand the reasons why their loved ones deteriorated or how the disease would affect them in the future.
Many of those asked admitted they did not want to know, and dealt with the symptoms on a day- to- day basis.
The Carers UK charity said 57 per cent of people lose touch with family and friends as a result of caring for someone with dementia. Many also reported feeling depressed or anxious.
Others said they needed to be available to provide round the clock care. This led to some having to cut their hours at work or lean on other family members for financial support.
Hilary Evans, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “For countless families across the UK dementia is taking a heavy toll.
“It’s estimated that if we could delay the onset of dementia by five years, by 2050 we could reduce the number of carers by a third but to reach that goal we must invest in research now.”