Thought people on here may be interested in a complaint I sent to BBC news after my father (who has alzheimers) was subjected to a man on the news discussing how his wife ended up just a heart-everything else died and he was left with a shell:
BBC News complaint section:
Complaint Summary: Insensitivity of news broadcasts on Alzheimers
Full Complaint: Imagine getting a diagnosis of Alzheimers at the age of 65 and then having to go through the next period of semi-awareness (years) listening to news broadcasts about the horrors of the disease. That is what you subject my father to on the news. I totally understand you are trying to raise awareness of this horrific disease but is it not grossly insensitive to not post a warning up before the broadcasts/news stories are broadcast? So that the carer can switch over? Just because people are elderly who generally get the disease, that doesn't mean they don't feel horrified by what they see. My father is affected by these broadcasts. A simple warning would be a sensitive way to deal with this. Elderly people are no different to any other age group.
I would be interested to know what the Alzheimers think of this viewpoint and what people with relatives think.
x
BBC News complaint section:
Complaint Summary: Insensitivity of news broadcasts on Alzheimers
Full Complaint: Imagine getting a diagnosis of Alzheimers at the age of 65 and then having to go through the next period of semi-awareness (years) listening to news broadcasts about the horrors of the disease. That is what you subject my father to on the news. I totally understand you are trying to raise awareness of this horrific disease but is it not grossly insensitive to not post a warning up before the broadcasts/news stories are broadcast? So that the carer can switch over? Just because people are elderly who generally get the disease, that doesn't mean they don't feel horrified by what they see. My father is affected by these broadcasts. A simple warning would be a sensitive way to deal with this. Elderly people are no different to any other age group.
I would be interested to know what the Alzheimers think of this viewpoint and what people with relatives think.
x