Clips

Alistair is editing away (a huge task as we have at least 3 hours of interviews for each story!)

Here are a couple of excerpts:

The first is of Deborah talking about her Mum, Betty, who is now in a nursing home in Oxfordshire. Here, Deborah recalls how the diagnosis of dementia came about…

The second is of June, whose late husband, Tony had Lewy Body disease – the same dementia as my Dad. This edited clip will give you a flavour of how the finished programme will appear…

This one is Pippa talking about her sister Louise: for the technically minded of you, this still needs colour grading (as do all the films) but this is the last process that happens.

This is the story of five carers. Ordinary people, from very different backgrounds, who found themselves in the position of carer of a husband, wife, brother, sister, father or mother who has developed dementia.

They talk about the desperate position they found themselves in – how their once certain life paths were turned upside down as they had to cope, often with little or no help, with being entirely responsible for the every need of their loved-ones who were increasingly unable to look after themselves.

They talk of the sadness and frustration which accompanies this disease. Of the often erratic and unpredictable behaviour of the sufferers, of their guilt at rising feelings of resentment – of their sadness as they watch a loved-one ‘disappear’ bit by bit. Of their fear of the future.

And then they talk about finding SPECAL, who offered them a way to understand dementia  in a way that allowed them to help the sufferer remain contented, despite what was happening to them and to understand how they, as carer could cope with the demands the situation placed on them.

They will also talk of the initial moments of doubt – doubt that what worked for one person, couldn’t possibly work for ‘my Mum’ or ‘my husband’! Of learning to turn the common sense of our everyday world around in order to understand the world from the dementia sufferers point of view; a leap of faith which, once tried, practiced and understood, offers the key to ‘contented dementia’ for ALL sufferers and carers alike.

They will talk about how SPECAL helped them learn how to survive their role as carer, as it becomes increasingly difficult as the illness progresses.

The film will be made as conversations between Kate, who will tell her own story, and the other carers – putting their stories into context and explaining how the SPECAL approach worked, in different ways, for each of them.

These are inspiring stories. Stories that, simply and honestly told, will illustrate the impact and importance of the SPECAL approach.

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