“Grandad was a family man and a hard worker,” said Chloe, 31. “He had his own painting and decorating business and was always very fit and healthy.”
Always called “Barty”, he “played football for a local team into his late 50s, travelled lots, and took such great care of his lifestyle and habits”.
Chloe revealed the first two signs of his Alzheimer’s disease: “When grandad’s short-term memory started to decline, he was forgetting to turn up to jobs and was getting lost in town.
“He would become frustrated by little things, which wasn’t normally in his personality to do so.”
When Chloe’s nan took Barty to the GP in 2009, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 63.
Chloe said: “It just goes to show that you can’t stop a condition like dementia no matter how well you look after yourself. He had a healthy body but in the end it was his mind that deteriorated.”
After witnessing her grandad’s memory deteriorate because of Alzheimer’s disease, Chloe was compelled to become a dementia and delirium specialist nurse.
“There’s such a lack of understanding out there about what dementia patients need,” said Chloe.
“And I feel that I can relate to other families experiencing the same situations with their loved ones being diagnosed.”
Chloe’s goal is “changing the perception of what living with dementia is like”.
She elaborated: “I think people have a negative perception of dementia and misunderstood that people can and do live well for a long time.”
Chloe said: “I completed a Memory Walk last year in London, the day before my grandad’s birthday, and I’m signing up again this year.
“Some of my dementia team colleagues completed it with me to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society, as we know how much the charity does, how important it is, and the big difference it can make.”
Chloe explained: “Alzheimer’s Society helped me right at the start when my grandad was diagnosed.”
Speaking about the Memory Walk, Chloe said: “The atmosphere is always so buzzing and everyone is so friendly.”
One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. This Autumn, join thousands of others and sign up for free to an Alzheimer’s Society Memory Walk, to help stop dementia from devastating lives. Sign up now at memorywalk.org.uk
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Health & Fitness News Click Here
