‘I fear Omicron could ruin our last Christmas’
KEVIN Jones spent last Christmas alone.
Covid restrictions meant he was unable, for the first time in 30 years, to share it with his partner Jean, who suffers with Alzheimer’s and now lives in a nearby care home.
But this year was promising to be different – he’d recently been allowed 20-minute visits with her a couple of times a week and being together again on December 25 looked set to be the high point of his 2021.
However, with Jean’s health fading fast and Omicron case figures on the rise, the 71-year-old expolice sergeant is now terrified he might still be robbed of what would likely be one last special moment with his other half.
And the couple’s plight has been highlighted by a new survey conducted by Alzheimer’s Society Cymru which has found that the 50,000 or so people affected by dementia in Wales have been worst hit by the pandemic.
Indeed, thousands like Kevin have seen their loved ones rapidly deteriorate in the past 12 months, often due to impacts on care and support, social isolation and lack of routine, although every case is different.
“I first noticed something was wrong with Jean in 2016,” said Kevin, who met the former ladder hire company owner from Newport while on holiday in Lanzarote.
“She used to be a big crossword and Sudoku fan and loved going rambling, but she suddenly lost interest in all that and her gait changed – she’d start rocking slightly from side to side when she walked, her arms hanging motionless.
“And if we ever went out she wouldn’t mix with anyone – it was like all her confidence had gone.”
Kevin added that they made an appointment with their GP, who diagnosed Jean with early-onset dementia.
“After that it came on very, very quickly. I could see her fading fast, that light in her eyes growing dimmer.”
Kevin would make sure to visit Jean at Pendine Park care home every day but, come lockdown in March, 2020, all he was permitted to do was to stand outside her room, wave and mouth “I love you” at her through its double-glazed window.
“And without that stimulation she just disappeared more and more,” he added.
Cruelly, however, just as Kevin was once again allowed face-toface time with Jean – “subject to a negative lateral flow test” – the doctors broke the devastating news that she didn’t have long left to live.
“She also has Parkinson’s disease and is no longer able to swallow or eat,” he said.
“As a result she’s very dehydrated and her kidneys are failing, along with other internal organs.
“She’s now receiving end-of-life palliative care – we don’t know how long she’s got.”
Kevin added that he was praying he’ll be able to spend Christmas and New Year by her bedside.
“All I want is to sit there and talk to her, to kiss her hand and tell her how much she means to me – even if she may not recognise me anymore.
“Honestly, the loneliness I felt without her last year was almost too much to bear and I’m terrified this new Omicron variant is going to come between us this time round.
“I don’t want our last Christmas together ruined.”
He said he was grateful for the support of Alzheimer’s Society Cymru throughout the past few difficult years.
“I cannot imagine where I would be without them. They are still as much of a lifeline today as they were 20 months ago.”
Indeed, the figures recently released by the charity reveal that a sixth of people with dementia in Wales spent last December 25 alone, leaving many families guiltridden and angry about their “lost Christmas”.
Its survey also found that for nearly a third of people a 15-minute visit was their only social contact during the whole of Christmas week.
“For many, the festive season will be marred by families having to cope with an unmanageable and irreversible decline in their loved ones,” said Cheryl James, Alzheimer’s Society Cymru area manager, who called on the public in Wales to donate what they could to help the charity this December.
“As families and friends look to go bigger and better this year to compensate for last Christmas spent in lockdown, people with dementia need us like never before.
“With your generous donations, we can make sure no-one must face Christmas alone and without adequate support.”
To help Alzheimer’s Society Cymru this Christmas go to www. alzheimers.org.uk/about-us/ wales