Cornation street

[Minnie]

Hi everybody,
Has anybody seen the latest storyline on the show. It's Eileen and her new
boyfriend, only he has been lying , he's married ,he is a carer and he has a wife with Alzheimer's .
I wonder what way they will handle and run with the story . It will be interesting to see how
careful and sensitive they are. If they don't show carers in a good light it might
put me off the show. I shall stay glued to next episode.
Minnie

[Guest]

Ive been watching Coronation St and that storyline. I dont think they are going to continue with it, might be wrong, just a feeling. Think it was just a way of showing how men usually let Eileen down and she has a very unsuccessful lovelife. The producers usually research the sensitive topics very carefully so doubt they would handle this one any differently.

[Sonia]

Hi All,

Watched the Corrie. It is good to see them dealing with a young person with the illness. When I did a collection outside Tesco this year, so many folks who give me money, mentioned that a loved one had it at such a young age. There are not many places for younger peole who suffer and they need to be cared for in a home etc.
I hope the storyline will continue for awhile. I know the character who is playing Paul, has been researching the part he plays. Like you it has to be handled carefully.Lets hope it brings the lives of young suffers and their carers to the foreground.
Love Sonia xxxx

[Matt Hill]

From http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scrip ... ewsID=1081

Coronation Street tackles dementia and carer guilt

On Friday 21 October Coronation Street’s Eileen Grimshaw - who is currently dating fireman Paul - finds out that his wife has Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer's Society hopes the storyline will get people talking more about dementia and the issues affecting families living with the condition.

Jeremy Hughes, Alzheimer's Society Chief Executive, said:
'It is good to see Coronation Street featuring a dementia storyline and one that tackles such a rarely spoken about subject. If a carer develops feelings for someone else they may feel very guilty. Having such a high profile soap covering the issue will hopefully enable more people to feel comfortable talking about it. We know from talking to people that everyone experiences dementia differently and relationships they have are very different too.'

In the coming months the storyline will explore Paul's guilt as he embarks on a relationship with Eileen and how in turn Eileen copes with being the 'other woman' in a very complex and unusual situation.;

Tony Hirst who plays Paul said:
'Since taking on this part, I have learnt so much more about dementia and how it affects not just the person with the condition but has an impact on the whole family. I am really enjoying the opportunity to help raise awareness about this devastating condition.'

There are currently 750,000 people with dementia in the UK. Of this, there are 16,000 people with dementia under the age of 65 yet it is estimated that the number is much higher.
Jeremy said:
'The fact that Tony's wife is in her 40s will hopefully help spread the message much further that dementia can affect younger people too. Many younger people with the condition fail to get an early diagnosis as they put off seeking help. We would encourage anyone who's worried about their memory to visit their GP.'

In 2006, Coronation Street's long standing character Mike Baldwin died with Alzheimer's disease. The storyline provided an opportunity to raise awareness about dementia at a time when it was not high on the political agenda.

[Guest]

Thanks Matt, that's very interesting that the topic will be continued.

[Minnie]

Yes, thanks Matt, we will see how the story unfolds.
Minnie

[Penny]

The last couple of years I have donated money to the Alzheimers Society instead of sending Xmas cards.

I watched a report on This Morning about early onset alzheimers and was so moved by a lovely man whose wife developed it around 50. He cared for her wonderfully and said that they had been together since they were 16 and he knew she'd never give up on him and he felt the same about her. He dressed her beautifully, did her hair and make-up and absolutely cherishes her. He said she'd spent her life caring for him and their kids & it was really cruel that now for the first time she has time to spend on herself and she gets this.

It moved me so much that I figured the AS could do with my cash rather than the Post Office and card companies.

[diva]

Penny thats a lovely post. Brought tears to my eyes xx

[Penny]

Thank you Diva - they were the chosen charity for This Morning and I will be supporting them again this year.