'Mum's young-onset dementia is heartbreaking'

The daughter of a 58-year-old woman diagnosed with young-onset dementia is sharing her experience to help raise awareness of the condition.

Emily Britton, 29, from Bristol, said she knew the symptoms her mum, Maria Britton, was showing in 2023 seemed serious but after initially being put down to the menopause it took months of "pushing" to discover the true cause.

Ms Britton, who works as a cabin manager for EasyJet, said in under two years she had gone from being her mum's daughter to her carer which was "heartbreaking".

A spokesperson for the Alzheimer's Society said dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK and one in three people will develop dementia in their lifetime.

Dementia is most common in people over the age of 65, but about 70,800 people in the UK are living with young-onset dementia, typically diagnosed before the age of 65, according to the Alzheimer's Society.

Ms Britton said she wanted to raise awareness as "so many" people talk about cancer, but few realise the likelihood of developing dementia.

Less than two years ago, Ms Britton, her mum, and her brother Harry were looking forward to the "holiday of a lifetime" in Disneyland, Florida.

"My brother had generously paid for my mum, who had always wanted to go, but just before we went things didn't seem right with her," she said.

"She'd become withdrawn and quiet and went from being so excited, to seeming like she couldn't care less, and lost her normal mannerisms.

"I was constantly asking her 'are you okay?'. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what."

After they returned home, Ms Britton said her mum, who worked in accounts, admitted she had been making mistakes at work, but she did not know why.

She encouraged her to visit a doctor and Maria was told she was experiencing symptoms of the menopause and put on HRT.

That was between September and December 2023, during which time Maria's boss suggested she take time off work to get better.

"By January she'd become really quiet and distanced herself, like she didn't really want to talk," said Ms Britton.

"It was really, really strange and not like her, because she was so chatty before, you could never get her to be quiet."

Ms Britton pushed for another GP appointment and her mum was referred for a CT scan but no abnormalities were highlighted so she was referred to a brain clinic.

Maria resigned from her job, Ms Britton said, adding: "Her speech deteriorated, she would stutter a lot, and she gradually became unable to put sentences together."

She was referred to the Dementia Wellbeing Service who visited within the month.

"That was around the end of August and they did a really thorough investigation, and by this time, mum's speech was worse along with the motor skills of her hands," Ms Britton said.

"The dementia clinic came back and said mum has a dementia and they believed it to be the behavioural variant - frontotemporal dementia."

Having frontotemporal dementia means her mum still knows who everyone is but it has impacted her speech and personality.

"Mum can only say yes or no now, and her processing's so bad she can't do anything for herself except walk around. In every aspect of her life she needs help," Ms Britton added.

Carers visit three times a day but Ms Britton prepares all her mum's meals, as well as cleaning, shopping and helping her shower.

"I change her bedding. I do her laundry. I take care of her finances. I take her to all her appointments. So anything a human needs, especially someone who does have an illness, I do for her."

Ms Britton said: "At times it is overwhelming and crazy. Twenty months ago she was working, she seemed herself, and now, I'm like her parent, you know the roles are reversed significantly.

"Now she loves Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol… she loves walking around with her teddy bear.

"Some days I think – and it sounds selfish – but I just wish I didn't have to be this carer role anymore, because it takes so much away from me and my mum, too.

"But I never want to see mum sad, so everything I do is for her."

Ms Britton and her brother Harry have learned the dementia her mum has is hereditary, so they her are in the process of being referred to a genetics clinic.

"We can be tested if we want to be. It's quite scary but we're just trying to get on with everything, maintain our lives and be as happy as we can be."

Ms Britton wants to raise awareness of the condition and recently joined more than 1,000 people for a 26-mile (41.8km) fundraising walk in the Lake District with her brother Harry and partner Lloyd.

More than £600,000 was raised for the Alzheimer's Society, with the charity being fundamental to helping her cope, she said.

"They supported me and my family through the diagnosis and they're there at the end of the phone whenever you need them", she added.

Ms Britton said people do not realise how quickly dementia can deteriorate and advised anyone else going through something similar to "trust your instinct".

"I knew immediately on that holiday there was so much more to the quietness and her being withdrawn. I even Googled early-onset dementia when I was away and everyone thought I was being silly.

"With something like this, the earlier you can - not catch it, because obviously it's not fixable - but the earlier you can recognise signs the easier it is for things to be put in place quicker."

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