'She is our guardian angel': Black Country family's journey with early onset dementia support

One Black Country family share their experience with early onset dementia.

The Banks family from the Black Country share how their life was changed when the family’s patriarch Andy was diagnosed with dementia in his mid-50s.

Andy’s sons, Matthew and Tom, were 12 and 9 when the situation reached its crisis point.

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Andy’s wife Kerry said, “We look back now and think he was about 55 when it started”.

The family said that they had struggled when trying to make sense of their Andy’s initial anger, exhaustion and confusion.

At the time, the family thought his symptoms were due to everyday stress paired alongside his night shifts. Despite passing two initial memory tests with his GP, Kerry knew something wasn’t right.

Then a neurologist was able to carry out more specialist assessments that the diagnosis was confirmed.

Kerry said: “You grieve for the person you’ve lost, even though they’re still here.”

The family were able to find support with the Trust’s Admiral Nursing service, delivered in partnership with Dementia UK.

One dementia specialist Admiral Nurse, Stacey, offered lots of emotional support and guidance to the family.

Kerry said: “I don’t think Andy and us as a family would be where we are today without Stacey. She is our guardian angel.”

A turning point came when Andy joined Rockspur House, a local service supporting adults with learning disabilities and young onset dementia.

Kerry said: “It was like getting Andy back, when he’s there, he thrives.”

Rockspur’s manager, Nick, said the experience has helped the team shape a vision for a wider dementia-focused service, he stated, "the support we’ve been able to offer Andy has been life-changing - for him, for us as a provider, and for his family.”