Revered broadcaster Alastair Stewart has spoken candidly about his struggles with dementia, describing one aspect as particularly ‘demeaning and soul destroying’. The 72-year-old, who’s among Britain’s longest serving news anchors, was diagnosed with a ‘vascular’ type of dementia two years ago, caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.
For Alastair, this has led to numerous daily difficulties, including issues with spatial awareness and memory. The former ITV and GB News presenter also mentioned that even tying shoelaces has become a struggle, but it’s the altered dynamics with his wife that he finds most difficult.
“It is demeaning and soul destroying, and she comes to it from a position of enormous calibre and talent,” Alastair said in an interview with The Telegraph. “I hate reducing her role in life to being my carer.”
Alastair met his wife Sally almost 50 years ago at a TV centre in Southampton, where she was working as a production assistant. While she initially thought Alastair was ‘cocky’ and ‘not particularly nice’, he eventually won her over at a Christmas party.
Now, Alastair acknowledges that without Sally’s support in dressing, travelling, and organising others to look after him when she’s away, he would be ‘finished’. And while Sally confessed she had lost some independence too, she asserted that they just ‘have to keep going’ for the sake of their loved ones.
“They don’t want to see their father not being well or see me feeling sorry for myself, or bursting into tears, so I try to be positive,” she told the publication. Current NHS data reveals that vascular dementia affects approximately 180,000 individuals in the UK.
Although the condition typically deteriorates over time, it’s occasionally possible to decelerate its progression. Common symptoms include slowness of thought, difficulty planning, mood changes, concentration problems, confusion and balancing issues.
NHS Wales advice adds: “These problems can make daily activities increasingly difficult and someone with the condition may eventually be unable to look after themselves.
“See a GP if you think you have early symptoms of dementia, especially if you’re over 65 years of age. If it’s found at an early stage, treatment may be able to stop vascular dementia getting worse, or at least slow it down.
“If you’re worried about someone else, encourage them to make an appointment with a GP and perhaps suggest that you go with them. Your GP can do some simple checks to try to find the cause of your symptoms. They can refer you to a memory clinic or another specialist for further tests if needed.”