The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, but for those living with dementia it has had untold effects.
For Mike Brookes, the lockdown has stripped away a daily routine he desperately relied on to provide structure and purpose.
His wife Liz fears the change of habits has had a serious impact on Mike's cognitive ability.
She has even had to stop Mike, 77, from watching rolling news because the effects of pandemic updates have been so upsetting.
“People with dementia may not always understand what's going on but they understand emotions, and the worry and experience anxiety because of the coronavirus headlines,” she says.
“Mike was an obsessive watcher of the news, but I've had to limit the amount of time he watches it to stop him from feeling overwhelmed.
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“He will watch reports again and again. I had to stop it because the statistics in the beginning particularly were just so horrendous.
“One morning I woke him up and he was in floods of tears.
“He's not processing it, but he's picking up on the emotion and the fear.”
The Alzheimer’s Society says people affected by dementia are experiencing crippling loneliness and are struggling to cope during lockdown.
The charity questioned 880 people either living with dementia or caring for someone with the condition and 78 per cent said the pandemic has made them feel more lonely or isolated than before.
And 37 per cent said that they feel significantly lonelier and more isolated.
RAF veteran Mike, from Milnrow, Rochdale, has been living with vascular dementia for nine years.
He and Liz, 64, usually fill their time with activities and meetings and both have found lockdown difficult.
“We have slowed right down and we hugely miss all those events,” Liz says. “They kept Mike active and purposeful.
“He has a difficult time adjusting to his new routine and struggles to remember to wash his hands and not open the door, but we just take it a day at a time.
“It’s important to keep active, so we potter around the garden together and Mike’s keeping busy by building a planter for us to grow our own vegetables.”
She adds: “Routine provides signposts for the week, interest and anticipation that something good is going to happen.
“At Salford Institute they have a programme of work with the Halle orchestra which was fantastic. Mike looked forward to that and would talk about it. Then there would be the two weeks of reflection afterwards and that’s all gone. Those kinds of things help keep the brain active.”
Liz believes the lockdown has had a negative impact on Mike’s cognitive ability.
“He’s not as good as he was before. His cognitive function has declined.
“For example, Mike’s an ice cream addict. So he got some in the freezer and I said ‘you are going to put that back aren’t you?’ I found it in the fridge and he’s done that a couple of times now.”
Liz says former businessman Mike has struggled with the changes but is doing well.
“We’ve been locked down since March 2 because I could see what was happening,” she says.
“I needed time to wind him down and get him used to being at home and teaching him the hand washing procedure.
“Mike has done pretty well. But he’s bored and would like to get out and about.
“We have dogs so we have to go out to walk them, thank goodness. We live very close to lovely countryside so we have the space and we seldom encounter anyone.
“He doesn’t quite understand social distancing so if we do see someone we know on the street that’s really hard.
“It feels like a very long haul. I think our age group will still be here in a year. I can’t see a vaccine being available this summer.”
There are an estimated 30,000 people living with dementia in Greater Manchester.
The Alzheimer’s Society has been making thousands of ‘welfare calls’ during the pandemic.
And there has been a 550 per cent increase in people joining charity’s online support community Talking Point since lockdown began.
But the charity’s funds have been badly hit by the pandemic and it is now facing a potential drop of £45 million in income.
As such charity bosses have launched an Emergency Appeal to raise vital funds.
Hazel Bayley, Head of Region for Alzheimer’s Society in the North West, said: “Coronavirus has turned life upside down for the thousands of people affected by dementia; many are scared, lonely and struggling to get the help they desperately need.
“During the pandemic, our frontline team has been raising safety alerts, delivering regular welfare calls, and supporting those who have nobody else to turn to through our Dementia Connect support line.
“They have dealt with matters of life and death. But thousands more need help and with Alzheimer’s Society facing a drop of £45 million this financial year due to the pandemic, this lifeline is at risk, which is why we are asking people to donate to our Emergency Appeal.”
Donations to Alzheimer’s Society’s Emergency Appeal can be made at alzheimers.org.uk/coronavirus-appeal
