"It is like losing someone, yet they are there."

That's how Nook's Pat Brown feels about caring for someone with dementia .

The 76-year-old has spent almost five years and counting caring for her husband Ross, 87, since his diagnosis, although she joked she has been caring for him for their entire 45 years of marriage.

"You are caught between the deep blue sea and the devil with this disease," Mrs Brown said.

"Long-time acquaintances and friends go along the way.

"Whether they are too scared to know about it, ignorant or think people are contagious, it's amazing how many people drop off.

"It's very sad for those who have dementia, as they need the company regardless of whether they can remember their name.

"The understanding isn't out there with the public. I have found that as

See Full Page