Reaching out

Ashley’s story could not have been told without an experienced and generous band of expert advisers…

JOHN AND CHARLOTTE have spoken of the invaluable help they’ve received from organisations working with those affected by dementia. So it’s fitting that while discussing Ashley’s final days, the pair are joined by experts in the field Kathryn Smith and Theresa Knight…

“It’s very rare to have a condition like dementia portrayed so well on television,” says Kathryn, director of operations for the Alzheimer’s Society. “What’s been handled brilliantly is the way in which everyone knew Ashley before dementia had an impact on his life and his family’s life, and on the village. I’ve not seen that done on TV before.”

“It was very much a long-term story from the start,” adds Theresa, media relationship manager at MHA, the Methodist charity and housing association. “The Emmerdale team made it clear that it should be portrayed as realistically as possible, to show the impact of dementia not just on Ashley, but also on Laurel and the wider family.”

“Neither Charlotte nor I had personal experience of dementia when we started on the story – and we’re quite unusual in that respect, considering there are 850,000 people in the UK with the condition,” shares John. “Dementia comes in many different forms. There was so much we learned, and if I were diagnosed with dementia now, I wouldn’t regard it as a death sentence. I know there are strategies to cope with it.”

“Dementia is a difficult condition to live with,” adds Kathryn. “But we want people not to be frightened by it, and to know that they can get the right support. We don’t want anyone to think there’s nothing to be done.”

To obtain further information, see www. alzheimers.org.uk and www.mha.org.uk