Comedian David
Baddiel has called for the "epidemic" of dementia as a killer of
older people to be given more public attention.
The 52-year-old,
whose father Colin is housebound and receives 24-hour care, has made a
television programme exploring the impact dementia has on close family members
of sufferers.
He said creating
The Trouble With Dad was hard but decided there must be a wider dialogue about
the disease.
Baddiel told the
Radio Times: "There is no situation where it is straightforwardly OK to
put someone on camera who is not totally informed about it due to dementia, as
is the case here.
"But the
alternative is that nobody ever talks about this, and we must. It's an epidemic
- the largest killer of older people, bigger than cancer. We must bring that
into the light."
His father, 82,
suffers from Pick's disease - a rare type of dementia that can see sufferers
become sexually disinhibited and prone to swearing and rude behaviour.
The film, set to
air on Channel 4 in February, focuses on the relationship between Colin and
Baddiel and his brother Ivor.
The comedian, who
is probably best known for his work with Frank Skinner, said he feels
"exhausted" after weekly visits with his father.
"He's hard
work. Some times he's not too mad, but others he's very thankless. He can be
extremely exasperating."
The father of two
added: "He doesn't understand who the kids are any more. He was never a
cuddly grandpa. He doesn't always know Ivor and me.
"He
understands he has sons, and can recognise pictures of us from our teens, but
he seems to think we should still look like that."
SOURCE: Care
Appointments, Joe Nerssessian
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