Added 28th November, 2006


Dear All
 
Apologies for not responding sooner to the host of people who emailed this website following the transmission of my documentary about the elderly called "Me and My Mum". I was snowed under with letters, cards, books, DVDs and pamphlets and am still working my way through them!
 
The colossal response seems to indicate that I'm not alone in believing that the infirm elderly are ignored and forgotten by our society. Just as importantly it gives an indication of the number of people who want to talk about their personal experiences of the issues involved.
 
Many thanks to all of you who took the trouble to write, and for the kind and supportive things you had to say. Since the programme was aired I've appeared on radio and television several times to talk about the elderly in general and dementia in particular, and have also done a number of interviews for newspapers and magazines.
 
But I've come to the conclusion that no significant change will take place in the UK until and unless we put real pressure on national and local politicians, the NHS and those in the so-called "care industry". Last week elderly people in thirty different cities demonstrated their support for the principle that Alzheimer's drugs should be freely available on the NHS. Let's hope that was just the start of a campaign on behalf of the elderly in which we can all play our part.
 
Best wishes

Tony