A man who lost his wife to rare form of dementia will give a talk in an Alton care home about the condition and how it affected his family’s life.

Neil Bridger will talk about his “Caring Journey with Frontotemporal Dementia” to residents and guests at Alton Brendoncare next Thursday, April 24.

He hopes his talk about caring for his wife, Debbie, will resonate with people that have friends and family members facing similar conditions.

Mr Bridger will discuss how he managed to care for his wife whilst juggling his other responsibilities like work and family, and how they coped with the grief of losing ‘Debs’ to the condition.

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain responsible for personality, behaviour, language and speech.

It affects around one in 20 people with dementia and differs in that memory loss and concentration problems are less common in the early stages.

Symptoms include reduced motivation and empathy, difficulty in focusing on tasks and obsessive, repetitive and inappropriate behaviour, with more details about the condition through this link: https://shorturl.at/lY0gu

Janet Graham, Brendoncare’s customer relations manager and event organiser, appreciates that Neil has agreed to share is “very personal story” with them.

She said: “We hope that other people currently in similar circumstances or who represent an interested group, will join us for his talk.”

She added: “This is a closed event where members of the group can share their feelings and experiences in a safe, supportive space.”

To reserve a space call 01420 549797 or email [email protected]

The Hampshire-based charity Brendoncare runs the Anstey Road care home along with six others around the south.

It also provides community support for older people through more than 30 in-person community clubs, online clubs, telephone and digital support. By Eva Fryer