What is Dementia Carers Respite and why is it needed?

Dementia is a cruel disease, which in 2022, was the leading cause of death in England and Wales, with 66,000 deaths (11.4% of the national total*).

Many sufferers do not qualify for financial assistance, so family carers either struggle alone, without even a few hours respite each week, or seek private care at £35 per hour. With limited means, it can be hard to afford for many.

These valuable family members often have difficulties of their own, but try to do the best for their relatives. The outcome is usually physical and mental exhaustion, and suffering from a toxic mix of guilt and bereavement for the virtual loss of a loved-one.

Dementia Carers Respite is the charity that cares for the carers themselves. I’m sure most of us can name at least one carer of a sufferer who we know. Research charities work hard to aid potential new scientific breakthroughs, but for some people the hope of a new treatment is too late. Offering carers some time off to re-energise amidst their caring responsibilities is sometimes the only beneficial thing left to give.

Your kind donations will fund professional carers to visit and provide much-needed respite to family carers in their own homes within Buckinghamshire. Care will be provided by professional, dementia-trained staff from organisations under the umbrella of CQC (Care Quality Commission). Please read www.dementia-respite.org.uk for further information. Its registered charity number with the Charity Commission, England, is: 1202451.

What am I doing on 1st and 2nd June 2024 to warrant your donation and why do I think I can do it?

I’m hoping enough time has passed since my last charity fundraiser, back in 2021, to ask you to put your hands in your pockets again!

I have pursued multisports more than pure swimming in recent years, and to my surprise, out of the three triathlons I have raced since 2021, I have won my female age group in all of them , as well as the gold medal at the European Aquathlon Championships in Belgium, and the gold medal at the British Aquathlon Championships last year.

I’m not shy of an endurance event. My plan is to do as many sprint triathlons as I can in a weekend. A sprint triathlon is a 750m lake swim, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run. I will then run c.1.5km back to the start of the circuit and do it all over again, and again, and so on within the bounds of the event opening times on Saturday and Sunday. The event will take place at Blenheim Palace in its beautiful grounds and is called “The Weekend Warrior”.

A big shout out to various friends who will be sticking my trainers back into the transition zone, checking my bike is in position and grabbing my wetsuit out of it, for each triathlon I do. This is so as not to waste valuable time. It should be an adventurous and exciting two days for which I believe I will be fit enough! Pacing myself will be everything.

Thank you for reading and please donate as much or as little as you can.

Veronica/Ponny xx

*Office of National Statistics