Kevin Whateley - What an ambassador!!!

[Vonny]

Because, one day they will be old.
And I know, when I was young, I would have not watched this programme.

Spot on Barb. My gran had dementia and was shuttled between my aunt's house and our house, spending a few weeks in each. Eventually she died in hospital. I was in my teens at the time and I felt sorry for the old girl but I don't remember helping out with her or giving her a second thought really. She was just my old gran who was a bit of a nuisance. Selfish selfish selfish. I could beat myself up but that won't do any good. Instead I'm involving my son in his gran's care. Nothing onerous or "gross" as he would say, just making sure he visits at least once a week, has a chat with her. Astonishingly, with no prompting, he always hugs her when we leave, this teenager who thinks hugs are so infra dig he'd rather die than hug an family member. But he sees how much pleasure his contact brings and does his best for her.

I didn't ask him to watch the programme because with Gran Turissmo calling on his PS3 he wouldn't have concentrated, but we'll talk about it tonight. I don't know what programmes there are for young people which could address dementia, but you are right Barb, it will all be up to them one day and it's going to hit more of them than we can imagine

Vonny xx

 

[Margarita]

I was very surprise in what Kevin said that cancer , heart diseases IS funded on the NHS, so he ask why dementia care was not , he ask that question to someone . Then the person answered said something about a green paper that is coming out sometime this year on it .

About time someone talk about the funding of the care openly .

Also taking about medication , could not believe what I was hearing when a man who was in middle stages was give medication for AZ said that with medication he could even go back to driving . seem NICE is reviewing medication sometime this year .

Memory nurse diagnosing from only having a Memory test that a lady had dementia With Lewy Bodies as she was having Hallucinations, seeing people come out of the TV, husband did not know what to say to his wife when she was having the Hallucinations.

I was just disappointed that they only said about stroke vascular dementia , not saying that One can get vascular dementia from diabetes in later years , if medication for diabetic is not control .

Beside that I found it a Very informative programme about dementia.

 

[Margarita]

Barbera Vonny .

I had TV on in fount room, my daughters may not have been watching it , but just listing to it the background as they made a few comments on it .

 

[Brucie]

Hi Margarita

my reading is the the programme was really short and wanted/needed to get a lot of information across.

They could not go into detail about any of the cases or what diagnostic tests had been done - I very much doubt whether that doctor diagnosed, based on the memory test.

However, if that sequence got across the messages about

• memory testing
• different dementias
• different symptoms
• memory clinics
• sympathetic medics

then that is another small step.

I'll believe what the minister said when something actually happens. Quoting a forthcoming Green Paper is not good enough.
For me.

 

[Grannie G]

I haven`t watched it yet but I do agree all these programmes will mainly be viewed , in the majority, by those with a vested interest.

It would be interesting to know how many friends and relatives, children and grandchildren of those with dementia will have watched last night.

 

[Cl13]

Kevin Whately, what a star, and so brave to put his heartbreak on tv, I hope all the MPs in this country were watching, I too am glad he brought up the subject of funding, I took mum for her scan result yesterday,I cant remember the long name of the treatment our consultant is recomending, she said I would have to meet with our Dr next week to see if they would pay for it, if not to get back to her and she would look as an alterative,
like Kevin said it is an illness just like cancer so why is it not covered for everyone, I have seen young people waiting for their daily dose of methadone in the chemist, and alcoholics in line in Quick Save with there daily alcohol voucher, to me these people cost this country thousands every day for there self inflicted illnesses, I know some may well have a go at me for saying that, but its how I feel, if this country afford to pay for that, then they can afford to pay for Dementia. by4now Lynn

 

[Linda Mc]

REPEATED 3.20AM Wed/Thurs morning if you missed it. ITV 1

Linda

 

[Margarita]

They could not go into detail about any of the cases or what diagnostic tests had been done - I very much doubt whether that doctor diagnosed, based on the memory test.

They did mention that the lady had seen the psychologist, am sure they introduced the psychologist (other person in the room with them) so I just presumed they was no brain scan, In the way memory nurse worded her words. So now after you saying that

They could not go into detail about any of the cases or what diagnostic tests had been done

They can mention about lady seeing psychologist,before hand but not mention brain scans . I understand they only had a short time to film can't fit it all in. They must of been acting .

Quoting a forthcoming Green Paper is not good enough.
For me.

I am ignorant about green paper, how the system works. So I do not know what go who does this green paper

 

[germain]

Hi all,

I too watched and thought it was a pleasant enough little programme , if anything about dementia can be called "pleasant" A good "non-shock" airing for those who have very little knowledge and a nice presenter in Kevin.

I had one concern tho' (and please- I'm not trying to start a site political disagreement here- just stating the facts as I saw them) - did anyone else notice that the politician at the end didn't actually answer ANY of Kevin's questions directly - not one word in reply really - he just went into politico speak about green papers etc AND he said "social care" each time , which was NOT answering Kevins point about cancer care etc being funded and dementia care not being funded !

I was left a bit worried about whether anything is really being considered to help or whether its just going to be another govt. brush under the carpet job !

Still, hope it helps and perhaps its just me being too suspicious (having been thro' the funding battles etc) I just get very weary of govt. hints (can't call them promises ) which turn into nothing in the end! Some good news hopefully about the NICE situation tho' ?

regards
Germain

 

[Margarita]

did anyone else notice that the politician at the end didn't actually answer ANY of Kevin's questions directly - not one word in reply really - he just went into politico speak about green papers etc AND he said "social care" each time , which was NOT answering Kevins point about cancer care etc being funded and dementia care not being funded !

Yes I notice that also , Maybe its about just giving the public more awareness, because I never know heart disease where also funded on the NHS and all heart disease can be control just like some Dementia.

Some good news hopefully about the NICE situation tho' ?

yes it is , even thought it seem a very slow progress. hopeful it change someone in the future.

 

[Amber 5]

Insensitive Diagnosis?!

I enjoyed watching the programme and also thought 30 minutes was too short. One thing I didn't enjoy hearing though was when the Dr told the lady that she was definately had 'Alzheimers disease' - her explanation did get better after that - but it made me cringe.
I thought I'd understood that Dementia was the umbrella title with Alzheimers being one of the types (which is not able to be diagnosed concusively until after a post mortem!)

I'm a little sensitive to these things at the moment as will be taking my mum a week on Friday to meet with the CPN after her CT scan on 3 Feb. Worrying about what / how the CPN will word whatever she is going to say is foremost in my mind at the moment!
Gill x

 

[Bob S]

I think the program had a wonderful opportunity to not only tell the UK about the horrors of Alzheimer's/dementia, but also the shameful way in which the NHS repeatedly tell us that they should not be funding the care of those with Alzheimer's/dementia, but it is down to people to have to sell off their houses and deplete their bank accounts to pay for their healthcare.

 

[sumosumo]

I had one concern tho' (and please- I'm not trying to start a site political disagreement here- just stating the facts as I saw them) - did anyone else notice that the politician at the end didn't actually answer ANY of Kevin's questions directly - not one word in reply really - he just went into politico speak about green papers etc AND he said "social care" each time , which was NOT answering Kevins point about cancer care etc being funded and dementia care not being funded !

My exact observation but why be shocked? Politicians are trained NOT to answer questions directly. The more experienced they become at this the higher the ladder they climb.

 

[Bob S]

Sumosumo,

I noticed the complete avoidance of Kevin Whately's questions at the end of the program too. I think the program missed out on not going into detail about how the NHS and social services across the country are deceiving families by telling them that the needs of someone with Alzheimer's/dementia, who needs to go into a residential/nursing home, are social needs rather than health needs.

 

[Allypally]

Hi all - yes politicians spend their lives avoiding giving direct answers and only answer the questions they want to. If Kevin Whately had been Jeremy Paxman we would have had a different programme. I am glad the problem of payment was aired properly, as I suspect there are many people who really don't have a clue about the iniquitous system currently in place.
Bye
Allypally

 

[imac.girll1]

Itvplayer - Catch Up On Kevins Documentary

I missed the Kevin Whateley programme when was it on and what station was it on.If it was the BBC do you know if you can watch it on the BBC i player take care Marian x

http://www.itv.com/ITVPlayer/defaul... Player_Player Brand Exact_itvplayer exact?ps



You can catch up with the programme this way online.

Missed it myself.

Also, if you have Virgin TV you can watch it On Demand aswell.

take care all, back to mothers canttankerous ways today!

iMac x

 

[Margarita]

The country are deceiving families by telling them that the needs of someone with Alzheimer's/dementia, who needs to go into a residential/nursing home, are social needs rather than health needs.

who needs to go into a residential/nursing home, are social needs rather than health needs.

Also what people do not seem to know that someone with a dementia should not be place into a elderly frail residential home, because they can’t meet the health needs of someone with a dementia as the staff our not trained in dementia.

Oh yes residential care home can meet the care needs, but not the mental health needs of someone with a Demetria.

 

[jenniferpa]

I had one concern tho' (and please- I'm not trying to start a site political disagreement here- just stating the facts as I saw them) - did anyone else notice that the politician at the end didn't actually answer ANY of Kevin's questions directly - not one word in reply really - he just went into politico speak about green papers etc AND he said "social care" each time , which was NOT answering Kevins point about cancer care etc being funded and dementia care not being funded !

My exact observation but why be shocked? Politicians are trained NOT to answer questions directly. The more experienced they become at this the higher the ladder they climb.

Sumosumo: to do a quote like this one, press the quote button at the bottom of the post you want to quote which will also bring up a reply box, and then delete anything you don't want (make sure though you keep the square brackets and the "quote" words with in them. You can also just copy as you did above, open a normal reply box, choose the icon above the reply box that looks like a square cartoon quote bubble (4th from the right) and then paste. The latter way, though, you don't get an indication of which poster you are quoting.

 

[tillygirl]

to do a quote like this one, press the quote button at the bottom of the post you want to quote which will also bring up a reply box, and then delete anything you don't want (make sure though you keep the square brackets and the "quote" words with in them.

Thank you Jennifer

 

[Lynne]

An excellent and well-balanced programme showing, in the main, how life 'in care' should be (just watched on the ITV-Play site - thanks for the link).

The bit about SPECAL in action was interesting; as someone else said, it's what you learn to do the hard way, but need to learn about sooner.
I recall some discussion of the theory on this forum last year, when it met with mixed opinions (I believe in response to the publication of a book? I may be wrong there).
The music/singing therapy was both practical and uplifting to the spirits of the singers.

Gill/Amber5 - please don't worry too much about what will be said to your mum next Friday. I think for the purposes of the programme they will have picked a case where the couple concerned had already said they wanted to be told the diagnosis outright, as was done. If you are concerned, there is still time for you to phone the CPN before the appointment & express what you think would be the best approach. Some people can only cope with hearing "memory problem", some want to know the detailed diagnosis.

Maggie:

A Green paper is a tentative government report of a proposal without any commitment to action; the first step in changing the law. Green papers, also known as consultation documents, may merely propose a strategy to be implemented in the details of other legislation or they may set out proposals on which the government wishes to obtain public views and opinion. Green papers may result in the production of a White paper, which is an official set of proposals that is used as a vehicle for their development into law.

I hope all the MPs in this country were watching

I'm afraid I very much doubt it - it's not a vote catching subject. As someone else said, programmes on dementia largely end up preaching to those already converted to the cause by their own experiences. If there was any way of confirming how many MPs who watched, I'd bet good money that number wouldn't exceed the number of my fingers!

I'll believe what the minister said when something actually happens. Quoting a 'forthcoming Green Paper' is not good enough.

I admit it, I am becoming a cynical & embittered old woman on this subject (whatever colour rosette they wear).

.