When Abigail Kelly’s grandmother Margaret suddenly seemed to lose interest in horse racing, which she had been a huge fan of since she was a child, and struggled to fill in betting slips, they knew that something was seriously wrong. The close knit family had spotted what turned out be the early signs of dementia – and Margaret was subsequently diagnosed with a mixture of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia and died in March this year. As the Alzheimer’s Society reveals new research showing that 88 per cent of people affected by dementia have not contacted a charity for support.
Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK and the charity says thousands are facing the realities alone without access to vital support and Ms Kelly has highlighted the importance of family and friends spotting the tiny signs that something is wrong and seeking help. Ms Kelly, 23, who lives in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, told i that often those experiencing dementia don’t realise or admit that something is wrong but said it is important that family members who know their loved one “through and through” are alert to signs which they know are unusual. The assistant psychologist, who had a very close relationship with her grandmother who she called “Nannan”, said: “Horse racing was my nan’s absolute passion and she grew up in proximity to Pontefract Race Track.
“As a little girl, I remember my dad picking me up from school and driving me to the racetrack a.