SSeeing someone suffer from dementia is extremely painful. Watching people struggle with the condition, I hoped that, as difficult as it was to see them lost and confused within the prism of their own minds, perhaps they were not as acutely aware of the tragedy of their circumstances as those under us around them. That thought made it a little easier to bear.
Dementia will affect each of us in some way at some point. As Anna Richardson’s Channel 4 documentary explains, it is the highest cause of death in Britain and, as the presenter grimly states, it is predicted that a third of us will suffer from it in our lifetime.
Anna Richardson: Love, Loss & Dementia begins with an urgent phone call that interrupts the host on vacation. Relaxing on the beach, she discovers she has to return to Britain because her father – who has vascular dementia – had a nasty fall that sent him to hospital. The program then focuses on looking at similar stories to Richardson’s, meeting people who care for those with dementia – as well as those who have undergone early testing and are living with the knowledge that they will soon have to deal with the disease .
Richardson is a sharp and cheerful person, best known for presenting no fewer than twelve series of Naked Attraction, and introduces himself as having “never been afraid to tackle taboo subjects”. And while dementia itself is not a taboo subject, it is an uncomfortable topic, especially in the later stages of the disease, where – as Richardson puts it – people transition from “living to just existing,” which is an existentially terrifying prospect.
Unfortunately, superficial attention is paid here to people with dementia who have only recently learned of their condition. We meet Jordan, newly engaged and more acutely aware of the horrors that await than most – having cared for his mother before she died of Alzheimer’s at age 50. His confirmation that his diagnosis is a ‘license to live’ is one of the most moving moments of the program, but is sadly underplayed. His insights, and those of his fiancée, who could one day become his caregiver, are cut short.
Another participant shares how caring for their partner has often been unsafe and taken a heavy toll on their psyche, and tearfully reflects: “I have no resilience anymore. I’m just completely crushed.” But no attention is paid to what support, beyond financial aid, could alleviate their suffering.
At one point, Richardson asks if dementia has a certain stigma in the African-Caribbean community, and her black subject says that it does. But the program fails to unpack this, leaving it feeling like another underdeveloped line of research.
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Similarly, when striking facts are presented – such as that a third of people with dementia go undiagnosed, or that many face challenges around financing their care – these are barely expanded upon, while both topics could have been an entire episode earn. The breadth of Richardson’s approach is understandable, with the show ostensibly wanting to address the many issues posed by the disease, but it results in a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none program, which – given the prevalence of dementia – will appeal to many probably not illuminating.
Even though the program won’t change the public’s understanding of dementia, it is still a valuable hour of television. The strongest moments are when Richardson forges meaningful connections with her subjects, addressing their plight with insight and sensitivity. Her father, Jim, a minister and OBE recipient, comes across as a remarkable man, and the program celebrates everything he is – rather than reducing him to a series of symptoms. We see a very relatable family dynamic where it’s easier to tease each other than express how much they love each other.
At the end of the program I was still none the wiser as to whether dementia is actually kinder to the affected person than to their loved ones. Everyone in this program struggles to live with – or alongside – dementia. And while promising new treatments and research offer glimmers of hope, there’s no escaping the fact that this is a sad television show about an all-too-common tragedy. If there is anything uplifting to take away, it is Jordan’s belief in a “license to live,” a reminder to enjoy every moment of good health we are fortunate to have.
