The last two weeks have been incredibly tough, leaving me mentally and physically exhausted as I care for my mum. Her decline has been rapid, and I find myself grappling with new and unsettling behaviours. For the first time, I’ve witnessed her aggression, throwing things around the house. She talks about her parents more than usual, often insisting they are coming to pick her up.

Her interactions with me and her carers have become difficult she speaks harshly, and all she seems to want is to lie in her room, in the dark, in silence. Her once-familiar routine has completely fallen apart due to her refusal to engage with anything asked of her. A visit from the Memory Service two weeks ago left us waiting without updates, adding to the frustration and uncertainty.

Delays in support have become the norm, partly due to the strained state of the NHS. It’s not the fault of the staff; they are doing their best in a broken system. But for people like me, trying to care for someone with Alzheimer’s, these delays make an already difficult job even harder. When I ask my mum to do something, she often mumbles under her breath, swears, or sometimes shouts and throws things behaviours I’ve never seen in her before.

The person I am caring for no longer feels like my mother. I’ve lost the kind, loving woman I knew, and in her place is someone moody, rude, and aggressive, who doesn’t seem to appreciate the efforts I’ve made to make her life easier. On top of this, I’m still advocating for her needs behind the scenes, which adds another layer of exhaustion.

There simply isn’t enough support for those of us caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s. We are often left to navigate this journey on our own, hoping we can somehow make it through. It’s unfair and unacceptable. My heart truly goes out to anyone who has to live with and manage this cruel disease.