ARLENE PHILLIPS: LIVING WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS DEMENTIA IS VERY DIFFICULT
She’s a showbiz legend – the glamorous former Strictly Come Dancing judge who first rose to fame as the director and choreographer of risqué dance troupe Hot Gossip in the 1970s.
But not so many people know that Arlene Phillips, now 77, went through the emotional pain of seeing her father battle Alzheimer’s for more than a decade, before he died in 2000.
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and 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, Phillips 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 Phillips to find out more.
How can smart meters help people with dementia?
“One of the strong patterns of behaviour with my dad was forgetting to turn off any switch. It was just one of those common things he couldn’t remember.
“Smart meter data can transform the way that people with dementia live, and can allow them to live independently for longer. With a smart meter you can get information about whether someone is leaving lights on or overusing the
energy supply.”
Can it be quite difficult to miss the signs of dementia at the beginning?
“My father started by getting lost. He’d quite often turn up at my house and he had no idea he’d walked there. He would stand there looking bewildered. If I had my chance again, I would definitely have got a smart meter to help me as a carer. ”
How can carers who are looking after people with dementia support their own mental wellbeing this Christmas?
“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.
“I think lockdown has given people different eating patterns. What we’re missing now is physical contact, like hugs, so you often replace it with something else, like a bit of chocolate here or there.”