Educating people about dementia care-giving 'is vital'

More needs to be done to raise awareness about the devastating feeling of losing a loved-one to dementia, according to one carer.

Harry Horstead, 69, told Kent News that while he is slowly losing his wife Pauline to the disease, he is grateful for the support he receives.

Having initially insisted he could take care of Pauline himself, he soon realised that occasional respite care became a very important part of the process.

"The more you can mix with other people with the same problems the easier it becomes because you can start talking about the problems and also pass on your experience. It helps you know what to expect in the later stages," he told the publication.

While Mr Horstead has accepted that his wife is slowly slipping away, he feels more people need to be made aware of exactly what dementia does and just what becoming a permanent carer entails.

Time is of the essence for this sort of education, as the country's ageing population has led the Alzheimer's Society to estimate that there will be over one million people in the UK living with dementia by 2025.

Read more about Barchester's dementia care homes.