I was emotionally unsteady. Living with someone who has dementia is very difficult
Dance queen and former Strictly judge Arlene Phillips tells about the tough times she faced caring for her father who had dementia and offers advice to other families HE’S a showbiz legend – the daughters, so my life was very full. were coming for him, or that and he had no idea he’d walked glamorous former Strictly I wanted to remain physically someone had been into his flat to there. He would stand there looking Come Dancing judge who strong. I was emotionally unsteady, steal money– which they couldn’t bewildered. first rose to fame as the because living with someone who have done, because he couldn’t director and choreographer has dementia is very difficult, and it open the door. of risqué dance troupe Hot Gossip in can be dangerous at times too. I would always be trying to make the 1970s. My father would leave the hob on him live in my reality, by saying, ‘No
But not so many people know that all night, for instance. I found it very Daddy, that isn’t real, nobody has Arlene Phillips, now 77, went hard when I was constantly running been in the house.’ Then he would through the emotional pain of over to his house to sort out a always get very agitated. seeing her father battle Alzheimer’s problem. I was emotionally a bit of a Instead, I could have delayed it by for more than a decade, before he wreck, but I stayed physically strong saying, ‘let’s have a cup of tea’ or died in 2000. in my own wellbeing and I think that ‘let’s talk about it later’. I’ve learned a
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia really helped. lot now, but when I look back it was that affects memory, thinking and a really traumatic time. behaviour.
There are currently around 850,000 people with dementia in the UK and, according to figures by The Alzheimer’s Association, this is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
Having experienced the devastation of the condition first-hand, Arlene has been raising awareness about the disease over the past few years, to help those living with dementia and their carers.
The celebrity choreographer is now encouraging people to contact their energy supplier to request a smart meter installation, as changes in daily energy usage could give vital clues as to whether a loved one is suffering from dementia.
We caught up with Arlene to find out more.
SMENTALLY, it’s very hard, but the awful part about it is that when he had dementia, he had a lot of fear.
He would worry that the police
THE most important thing anyone can do is eat well and live a healthy lifestyle.
I always tell people, ‘Don’t ignore fruit, veg and lentils’.
A healthy diet is number one, but the next thing to consider is exercise. I don’t think there’s any disease that exercise doesn’t improve.
Raising the heartbeat and filling your life with energy is so important. Even if it’s walking to the 10,000 step goal.
It doesn’t matter what it is. Those things are just absolutely vital.