 Paul and Sandy Kemp's garden is bursting with colour. It's been tended to with extra care since the pandemic, with freshly planted flowers in each corner. 'If you'd asked me four years ago if I had any interest in plants or things, I'd have said no', Paul tells Metro.co.uk. 'But the last three to four years have changed that. I'm determined to make it as bright as possible for Sandy. The more colour I can bring to her, the better.' Sandy, a former carer, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's via video call in June 2021. The 55-year-old had initially been treated for depression before a doctor noticed symptoms consistent with the disease. However, because of lockdown conditions, scan results did not come until the following year. 'The original diagnosis journey was really hard, Paul, 57, explained. 'It took over a year-and-a-half to go from seeing the GP and getting to take that first step. Dementia as a disease does not wait, that's far too long.' There are currently around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK (Picture: Shutterstock/SewCream) Paul and Sandy spent months having scans and appointments – with large periods in between waiting for answers. They were then promised a follow up call in six months time, and it never came. The process left them feeling 'forgotten'. Paul has become a full-time carer for Sandy and has described getting financial and social care support as being 'like banging your head against a brick wall'. He added: 'I've felt so angry over the years, it feels like she's been pushed outside. There's not enough being done or said about how families struggle – it's behind closed doors. 'And what I hadn't realised was how many people there are across the country suffering through the same thing who are caught in the same circles as I am.' Sandy's situation is worsening, but Paul is determined to have her stay at home whe){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Paul and Sandy Kemp’s garden is bursting with colour.
It’s been tended to with extra care since the pandemic, with freshly planted flowers in each corner.
‘If you’d asked me four years ago if I had any interest in plants or things, I’d have said no’, Paul tells Metro.co.uk.
‘But the last three to four years have changed that. I’m determined to make it as bright as possible for Sandy. The more colour I can bring to her, the better.’