My gran, Daphne, has dementia. I have seen it transform a wonderful lady, someone who had tea and homemade cake for us in mid-afternoon when we visited as children, who loved singing and feeding the birds outside her kitchen, who chased us in hot weather around the garden threatening to tickle us, into someone who doesn't know us, who isn't the same person, who gets angry and sad and frustrated (understandably) with how life doesn't seem to work, and who is both missing from our lives and yet very much here in a different way.

My grandad, John, died with dementia, having cared for my gran as best he could for years, and I miss his stories, and laughter, and board games, and chess, and waving at us as we turned the street. I found out so much about his life, funny stories about his time in the war, friends, and how he met Gran, after he died, far after he would've been able to tell us, or remember them himself.

Dementia is cruel and it affects so many people. Covid just makes it all worse. But we can do something to help.

Alzheimers Society is transforming the landscape of dementia forever. Until the day we find a cure, we will create a society where those affected by dementia are supported and accepted, able to live in their community without fear or prejudice.