Dementia

Double helping of dementia, catching up on stuff I've recorded this week. First the film Iris, and then the third episode of the channel 4 documentary Dementiaville, which I think has been brilliant. My wife Linda's been less excited, but she's familiar with the territory, regularly running two Singing for the Brain groups. For me, looking in from the outside, it's been fascinating. OK. It's out there, and it's growing, and most of us are going to meet it sooner or later. It can hit anyone, and as it happens many of the examples here had been fit, intelligent active people, doing all the stuff you're supposed to do to keep you healthy in old age. Then it starts and eats away, at accelerating speed, and although there's caring and clever stuff you can do to reduce the impact, to prolong memories and positive times, this isn't a Hollywood movie where you'll turn it around in the end. It'll get worse, often bitter and sordid, and as one doctor says it's a mercy you don't know what you're in for when you start, because you wouldn't be able to cope. Grim warning, but so much love and thought going into how we might respond. Watch and learn.