Memory clinic helps those living alone
3, Jul, 2009
Hazel, 79, from Penryn, has memory problems but is fully aware of them. She
lives alone and attends the Age Concern day centre every week.
“I’ve had problems with my memory since I was about 76 – it started gradually and has got worse over the years. I’m not that bad. My son is a psychiatric nurse and he used to play a joke on me by phoning me up and saying ‘Mrs Peters we have your bed ready’. He doesn’t do it any more.
“It affects mostly my short-term memory. I’ve got an excellent memory for quizzes. I’m not as good as I used to be but I’m not that bad. It’s just a
bit inconvenient. Coming here is lovely – it’s very sociable. I don't know what I'd do without coming here. There are some people round my way who don’t go outside the door from one day to another, just sit inside, and I wouldn’t want to be like that. I don’t know how they live like it.
“I live alone and have two sons who are very good, I pay my bills and I manage. But coming here is a godsend. Somewhere like this makes a lot of difference. I don’t find my memory too much of a problem although I expect that as time goes on I shall get worse. My sons watch me like hawks and they wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”
3, Jul, 2009
Elizabeth, 85, used to be a school teacher in Falmouth and spoke four languages. She lives with her husband Bill, a retired headmaster. She has severe memory problems. She said: “I do have problems with my memory. I used to b... Read More
3, Jul, 2009
A SINGING group in Castle Cary is helping transform the lives of people with memory problems. Singing for the Brain was launched in the town by the Alzheimer’s Society in January this year to provide mental stimulation for pe... Read More
2, Jul, 2009
WORLD War Two veteran and former field gunner Joe Sevieri has eight children, 17 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Now the 86-year-old widower has been diagnosed with dementia, his son John said it's the family’s tu... Read More
2, Jul, 2009
Sheila Chugg clearly remembers gradually losing her husband Leonard to the cruel effects of dementia. She watched the man she loved succumb to an illness which leaves sufferers confused and frustrated and their family devastated. ... Read More
2, Jul, 2009
WHEN her husband, Roger, started to forget simple daily tasks 10 years ago, Pat Criddle knew exactly what was to blame. She was already employed as a dementia support worker, so when she explained her concerns to her GP, he lis... Read More