Together Dementia Support

I'm Margaret Booth I live in Withington. I moved back to Manchester when I retired in 2011 to help to look after my aunt who was developing dementia. Shortly after getting a formal diagnosis of dementia, she was also diagnosed with cancer so we were in an ideal position to compare the treatment of both diseases. My aunt died at home in 2018 of dementia. Her cancer was in remission.

Hello my name is Ila. I was a carer for my husband Vasant till he passed away on April 2020. He had dementia (Primary Progressive Aphasia).

I can meet up with any carer who would like to join me on Wednesday mornings for a coffee and chat.

I’m Miranda and I live in Old Trafford. My Mum is 88. She’s from Austria and settled in London in the late 1950s. She was diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s in 2011, after my Indonesian Dad died. The lockdown brought Mum to stay with me and due to her health and other issues she stayed on with me and my son. In 2021 she was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation / heart failure. In Nov 23 she went into interim residential care. The last few years have been very challenging. I am so grateful for the support of the TDS family.

Hi, I'm Mary and I cared for my husband Frank for 6 years until he died in February 2024. He had Lewy Body dementia with Parkinson's which was very challenging for both of us. I found the support of a small group of fellow carers a huge help and would like to help others to set up their own support networks. Examples would be carers for a partner, carers for a parent or recently bereaved carers like myself.

Hi my name is Irenka, I have been caring for my mum for over a year, she was diagnosed with, Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, we have challenging times but myself and my sister are her full-time carers 24 hours a day.

As a Carer Champion, I would like to help people with questions on all topics, I have also worked within the NHS and also nursing homes and homecare.

Hi, my name is Sonia. I live in Oldham, but care for my mum who was diagnosed with mixed dementia over 18 months ago. Myself and my sister, Irenka, are her carers. I have four children, aged between 13 and seven.

I worked for many years at Revenues and Benefits and before that I helped set up the Equipment and Adaptations store. I am happy to be a Carers’ Champion to help get information about dementia out into the public domain, especially at GP surgeries, the starting place for most people.

Hi I'm Cathy, for the last 18 months I've been full time carer for my sister-in-law Judy.

Having worked in the community and dementia care homes, as a family we decided at the age of 63 years old Judy was too young, to go into residential care, so I moved in to be her full-time carer. It has been a challenge and very different from doing a work shift.

There are many challenges outside of care of our loved ones we as carers face and I like to be a voice for us all, and help other carers where I can.

Hi, I’m Rebecca, I live in Manchester.

I was a carer to my Dad who had a stroke many years ago which left him immobile but was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2021.

Dad passed away in August 2023. Having been a carer and now understanding grieving, I’d like to be able to support others in any way I can especially within the South Asian community.