Hi, I think Big Effort suggested a group of us contacting national newspapers on my fathers behalf to try and get them to listen.We need to make people aware that if any of there loved ones end up in any of these assessment wards that they can rest assure that there love ones are properly looked after.I have up to know contacted daily mail,daily express, still early days nothing positive as of yet.I know i have said it before believe me I hope nobody has to got through the living hell we have to through.
dad contacting media
- Thread starter nick47
- Start date
Dear Nick, I just wondered if you'd seen my post from yesterday (copied below). They might have some good ideas how we could co-ordinate such an approach.
"The Alzheimer's Society themselves have a media & press team who might be useful to contact on 020 7423 3595. You could also try contacting the Chief Executive’s office (Jeremy Hughes) who might have some suggestions on how best to escalate things, main switchboard 020 7423 3500. If you’d like me to call on your behalf please let me know but am guessing they might want to speak to you direct as you've all the details. If any changes for the better happen as a result of this terrible tragedy then your dad won’t have died in vain".
"The Alzheimer's Society themselves have a media & press team who might be useful to contact on 020 7423 3595. You could also try contacting the Chief Executive’s office (Jeremy Hughes) who might have some suggestions on how best to escalate things, main switchboard 020 7423 3500. If you’d like me to call on your behalf please let me know but am guessing they might want to speak to you direct as you've all the details. If any changes for the better happen as a result of this terrible tragedy then your dad won’t have died in vain".
Nick, ive e mailed a man up here who is also campaigning for the rights of dementia sufferers and carers and he is collecting peoples life stories which he hands in to the Scottish Parliamnet. He took it upon himself to be the voice of us carers and our loved ones and he gets good publicity locally and in the media. I have given him the story as ive seen it on here at TP. Im sure if anyone can highlight this appaling tragedy and get as much publicity as possible, hes the man. I will let you know how it goes.
Nick
I admire you being able to deal with these things so soon, in your shoes I really don't know what I would do.
My feelings are that the focus of an approach to the media might be the TP board with all the comments, last time I looked it was over 100. Assuming that many people haven't heard of TP and that they have the dementia nightmare, I would say 100 comments in a very small space of time is significant. A lot of people feel very strongly about this. I wonder how this could be put into the realm of social media so more people find out.
The AS may well have an idea how to handle this, your situation has focused so many people, I would think that there are thousands out there who will be shocked. From my limited experience of the media, it helps if you compile a whole lot of info so the press only have to do a small amount of work. I feel that yours is a worst nightmare situation, there are other nasty stories referred to in TP about treatment of relatives, it would make a chilling documentary.
The next few weeks it might be Olympics fever hits the media, when that is over where does the media look? The Paralymics will be in many people's mind and the whole issue of disability to the forefront.
It would be interesting to know what the AS press office thinks.
You are brave, I am sure your dad would be a very proud man, let's hope his spirit is around somewhere watching.
My love to your mum.
I admire you being able to deal with these things so soon, in your shoes I really don't know what I would do.
My feelings are that the focus of an approach to the media might be the TP board with all the comments, last time I looked it was over 100. Assuming that many people haven't heard of TP and that they have the dementia nightmare, I would say 100 comments in a very small space of time is significant. A lot of people feel very strongly about this. I wonder how this could be put into the realm of social media so more people find out.
The AS may well have an idea how to handle this, your situation has focused so many people, I would think that there are thousands out there who will be shocked. From my limited experience of the media, it helps if you compile a whole lot of info so the press only have to do a small amount of work. I feel that yours is a worst nightmare situation, there are other nasty stories referred to in TP about treatment of relatives, it would make a chilling documentary.
The next few weeks it might be Olympics fever hits the media, when that is over where does the media look? The Paralymics will be in many people's mind and the whole issue of disability to the forefront.
It would be interesting to know what the AS press office thinks.
You are brave, I am sure your dad would be a very proud man, let's hope his spirit is around somewhere watching.
My love to your mum.
Nick, I have just replied on your other thread ... can I say how much I admire you for taking this stance? Protesting my outrage at my mother’s ‘treatment’ (in a very different and far less tragic scenario) was a route to healing for me and made some sense of what she went through ....
‘Her story’ never ended up in the press ... but I became a ‘media volunteer’ for both AS and Action on Elder Abuse (as befit her circumstances) and had regular contact with both organisations and their journalist contacts helping with ‘background’ to features for some time if not more actively involved in various campaigns which needed 'real-life' illustration ...
It might be something helps your own healing process ..... if it helps you to shout it from the rooftops, then do so. It will sure help others. And your dad would be so proud. If you are not up to it, then don't. Please be kind to yourself right now.
Kindest regards, Karen, x
‘Her story’ never ended up in the press ... but I became a ‘media volunteer’ for both AS and Action on Elder Abuse (as befit her circumstances) and had regular contact with both organisations and their journalist contacts helping with ‘background’ to features for some time if not more actively involved in various campaigns which needed 'real-life' illustration ...
It might be something helps your own healing process ..... if it helps you to shout it from the rooftops, then do so. It will sure help others. And your dad would be so proud. If you are not up to it, then don't. Please be kind to yourself right now.
Kindest regards, Karen, x
Hello Nick
I hesitate to make my comments but I feel strongly that they are not unwise
I cannot imagine the trauma of your life over the past few weeks and I am sure that not many of us on TP have suffered in the way that you and your family have
My thoughts are with you and all your family, but mainly with your mother
She above all needs comfort , I can understand your anger at the circumstances leading up to the death of your father, but do give special consideration to your mother’s feeling
I am not trying to be harsh, I have over the years lost my parents, brothers, and sisters and more recently my wife
The most traumatic experience has been the loss of my wife, I was not subjected to the horror that your mother has been through and my three sons were very supportive
I am finding it difficult to put my thoughts into words ,but for the sake of your mother try to suppress for a little while your anger and help as far as possible to ensure that his funeral is not full of bitterness , but a memory of a loved husband and father I know this must be difficult but your mother
deserves love, peace and understanding on this day of all days
Many members will give you good advice ,on the various methods and organisations that will help you in your efforts to not only get justice for your father but also to emphasise the need for better security to avoid it happening to others
There must be an inquest and formal enquiry into the circumstances of his death and it is when this is known that the full impact of any campaign that you envisage will be most constructive Remember newspaper headlines are
one day wonders
Finally it maybe considered a cruel thing to say at this time, but I say it in all sincerity your fathers health was in serious decline and he and your family could face many years of losing him His sudden death , terribly tragic has bought to an end the life
So that you may understand a little of what I am trying to say, My wife suffered for many years with Alzheimer’s and was getting worse , She died of a sudden heart attack I was devastated then and still am but two years on I feel grateful that she did not suffer more anguish and indignity that goes with this dreadful illness
Please do your best so that your mother can on the day of the funeral , in spite of all the anger you and your brother are feeling, supporting her in her loss of a dear husband and father is the most important
Try to leave the anger until after your dad is rested in peace and love
jimbo
I hesitate to make my comments but I feel strongly that they are not unwise
I cannot imagine the trauma of your life over the past few weeks and I am sure that not many of us on TP have suffered in the way that you and your family have
My thoughts are with you and all your family, but mainly with your mother
She above all needs comfort , I can understand your anger at the circumstances leading up to the death of your father, but do give special consideration to your mother’s feeling
I am not trying to be harsh, I have over the years lost my parents, brothers, and sisters and more recently my wife
The most traumatic experience has been the loss of my wife, I was not subjected to the horror that your mother has been through and my three sons were very supportive
I am finding it difficult to put my thoughts into words ,but for the sake of your mother try to suppress for a little while your anger and help as far as possible to ensure that his funeral is not full of bitterness , but a memory of a loved husband and father I know this must be difficult but your mother
deserves love, peace and understanding on this day of all days
Many members will give you good advice ,on the various methods and organisations that will help you in your efforts to not only get justice for your father but also to emphasise the need for better security to avoid it happening to others
There must be an inquest and formal enquiry into the circumstances of his death and it is when this is known that the full impact of any campaign that you envisage will be most constructive Remember newspaper headlines are
one day wonders
Finally it maybe considered a cruel thing to say at this time, but I say it in all sincerity your fathers health was in serious decline and he and your family could face many years of losing him His sudden death , terribly tragic has bought to an end the life
So that you may understand a little of what I am trying to say, My wife suffered for many years with Alzheimer’s and was getting worse , She died of a sudden heart attack I was devastated then and still am but two years on I feel grateful that she did not suffer more anguish and indignity that goes with this dreadful illness
Please do your best so that your mother can on the day of the funeral , in spite of all the anger you and your brother are feeling, supporting her in her loss of a dear husband and father is the most important
Try to leave the anger until after your dad is rested in peace and love
jimbo
