30/07/2021 - Vital relief for lockdown dementia sufferers
“I really hadn’t expected lockdown to affect me the way it has, but I feel it has really knocked my confidence.”
Social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic has had an emotional impact on everyone, depriving us all of valuable face-to-face time with family and friends. And no group caught up in this crisis has been worse hit than those living with dementia.
For Luton resident Ananga Moonesinghe, it has been a particularly testing time. The 73 year old, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in August 2019, believes his condition has worsened as a result of the lockdown.
He said: “The lack of social contact has made things harder for me. I developed a stammer after having a few mini-strokes, and that has also become worse since the lockdown started.”
The former engineer, who served in the RAF for 22 years, ended his career working at Thameslink. He came to the UK with his parents from Sri Lanka as a youngster. Now his wife of 46 years, Joanna, is his main carer. The couple have two daughters and five grandchildren, but time spent with them has been curtailed due to the pandemic.
Ananga is, however, hugely grateful for the support he and his family has received from the Alzheimer’s Society - support made possible by funding from the council’s airport company Luton London Airport Limited (LLAL).
He was referred to the UK’s leading dementia charity following his diagnosis, and met dementia support worker Cathy Goodbun, who helped Ananga understand more about his diagnosis and how to explain it to others, including his grandchildren.
She reassured him that it’s possible to live well with dementia and offered advice on how to make his home more dementia-friendly, enabling him to remain independent for as long as possible.
Dementia support manager Gemma Brooks helped Ananga with his communication difficulties, referring him to speech therapy, and also to the social services falls team.
Since making contact with the charity, Ananga has embraced opportunities to engage with others, attending both an Alzheimer’s Society-run dementia café and an activity group.
He has even become a key member of the charity’s Focus on Dementia Network, which provides feedback on services across Luton.
Gemma explained: “The dementia café gives people living with the condition and their carers the opportunity to meet up and share experiences. And the activity group provides valuable peer support and also gives services users the chance to take part in quizzes, discussions and singing that stimulate the brain. We’re having to run these groups virtually at the moment, which is working OK, but it will be nice to get back to face-to-face meetings when restrictions are lifted.”
Ananga added: “The social interaction you get from the dementia café and activity group is so important. When I was diagnosed my first thought was ‘why me?’ but then you meet others in a similar situation and you realise you’re not alone. I’m so grateful for the support Alzheimer’s Society has given me - both emotional and practical - it has been invaluable.”
Alzheimer’s Society is just one of many local charities which receives funds from LLAL. As Ananga’s story demonstrates, money from the airport is used to make a real difference to individuals as part of its aim of improving lives in the local community.