On Sunday, 18th February, 2018, I am running in the 'Round The Bays' 1/2 Marathon in Welllington, New Zealand, which I previously ran in 2016 and was only my second 1/2 marathon. This will be my third, with the  added  challenge of crossing the line in under 2 hours!!!

At the start of December this year my father, Colin (only 71 years old) was admitted to hospital as a result of his advancing Alzheimer's/Dementia, diagnosed shortly after his retirement around 6 years ago. This is the first form of specialist care that he has received and unfortunately due to the extent of his condition, he has had little or no appreciation  over  the  intervening  years that he actually suffered from the debilitating illness. A once proud and hardworking man, he is now left with memories from bygone eras and little recognition of close family, friends or his own surroundings.

Luckily my father was swiftly transferred to The Prosen Unit at Whitehills Health & Community Care Centre, Forfar which is much closer to his family and friends. Without such a local, vital facility it is unknown where he would have ended up.

Whitehills Health & Community Care Centre was opened in 2005 as a community care centre providing older peoples' in-patient services, as well as outpatients, minor illness and injury services and a variety of social work and voluntary services.

The Prosen Unit is part of Older People Services, Psychiatry of Old Age In-Patient services, which offers dementia assessments and provides intermediate care for people with Dementia. For people suffering with dementia the need for specialist care is sometimes required because of the complexities of their condition and behaviour. The unit can identify care needs that cannot be met in any community setting including care homes.

The nurses of Prosen Unit are committed to ensuring that they keep abreast of current thinking and have the knowledge and skills to provide specialist care for people with Dementia.

My father and other patients within the 10 bed unit require the specialist care and security that cannot be provided anywhere else in the immediate locality which will help them immeasurably with  their future care wherever that may be.

Donations towards my 'Round The Bays, 1/2 marathon, 2018' efforts will help staff at and associated with the Prosen Unit provide the care and essential services that will assist my father and others in their ongoing journeys and battles with dementia.