Fiona Phillips experience exposes lack of priority given to dementia

Funding for dementia remains very low in the UK, despite one in three people likely to fall victim to the terrible disease. Without wishing to create a hierarchy of suffering, for every pound spend on cancer research, just 31 p is spent on dementia. The subject has jumped up the news agenda recently, with the diagnosis of journalist and former GMTV host, Fiona Phillips, diagnosed with Alzheimers. Her partner, Martin Frizell, has spoken out poignantly about their situation. The non-recognition, shrinking away, wanting to go back to a time in her childhood. Listening to Frizell brought back many of the memories of my own father, when he had dementia. He would suddenly appear in the evening, ready to go home. Explaining this was his home didn't help. The home he was thinking about was the one he grew up in 80 odd years before in Goodmayes. Interestingly, Frizell tells how he has learnt to never disagree, just go along with the fiction. Dad was a strong personality - a former headmaster in Newham. But those strong instincts can make for difficult times, when dementia strikes. His belief he was right saw him get out of the house, not knowing where he was going. This resulted in us all out searching the town to find him. Anything could have happened. There were, though, glimpses of the old Dad, when he had coherent phases. These were precious moments, though sadly, not frequent. Dad died in 2008 but it sounds as though little has improved since then. Martin Frizell was spot on, when he said dementia is seen as an old persons disease. The attitude being that sufferers have had a good innings.. and all the other platitudes. Fiona Philipps is 63, not old, and there are many much younger with the disease. Frizell claimed little has advanced with Alzheimer's since it was first diagnosed in 1912. He is right. There is certainly no prioritisation of the disease, even as it claims more and more victims. If it were prioritised, with the requisite funding provided, then very real progress can be made. Frizell has contributed to a book with Fiona Phillips on what has happened. They make some very valid points. Let's hope those with the power to address dementia are listening. This is a growing problem for our society that needs urgent attention, not outdated views on ageing and the relative values of life.