Irene 2

I am feeling rather sad, blippers.

Today I visited my old friend Irene in Crieff, and although it was lovely to spend the day with her and take her out for lunch, I was very aware of a deterioration in her condition since I had last seen her.

Irene has Alzheimer's Disease.

When a district nurse popped in this morning to check that she had taken her medication - no! - Irene introduced me as someone who used to teach with her. By the time I was getting ready to leave 5 hours later, she was asking me what job I used to do and where. During the visit she struggled to remember names of family and places, often getting the generations muddled, and repeated herself constantly.

Her daughter-in-law has since phoned me to find out how the visit went. Irene knew she'd had a visitor and gone out for lunch, but couldn't remember who it was! Her family in Crieff see her every day and bear the brunt of her care, while her other sons, although they phone regularly, don't realise the extent of her condition and are reluctant to accept that something more needs to be done.

Alzheimer's is a b****r!