Have you been watching BBC drama Casualty?

The BBC drama Casualty has been on our screens since 1986 and follows the lives of staff and patients of Holby City’s accident and emergency department.

Recently, the programme has followed a storyline where doctor, Rash Masum, a son who is living in his parents’ home, has learned that his father likely has dementia after experiencing significant memory issues.

Alzheimer’s UK state that Alzheimer’s and dementia are currently the number 1 cause of death in the UK and they are not a normal part of the ageing process. They account for 70% of people currently living in care home settings. There are currently around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK and this is expected to rise above 1.5 million by 2040.

Last Saturday’s episode of Casualty brought things to a head for Rash when his dad attempts to drive a car and gets into an accident due to his confusion. As a result of this, Rash must consider whether his dad needs to move to a care home setting. Rash has great difficulty deciding on what care home might be best for his dad and even inquires with his bank about taking out a loan in order to pay for the care his dad needs. 

Dealing with decisions that need to be made for someone who has Alzheimer’s or dementia can be incredibly difficult for family members and this is often unfamiliar territory as it is not something you know how to navigate, until you need to do it and the added complication of understanding how care for a family member should be funded adds additional stress.

This is a situation we can provide advice and guidance on. If you or someone you know, needs advice in relation to arrangements for care and funding for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, please get in touch with our Court of Protection team, Solicitor, Alison Lee alee@biscoes-law.co.uk and Paralegal and Trainee Legal Executive, Tasha Bibby tbibby@biscoes-law.co.uk or call on 023 9266 0261.