'My husband got early -onsetdementia, now I'm a full-time carer'

Jill Scott planned to travel the world with her husband in their retirement, but instead she is living the "very isolating" experience of being his carer 24-hours a day. Her partner Stuart, from Blackburn, was told he had dementia at the age of 61, a shock diagnosis that made Jill "cry every day for over 12 months, wondering how we would manage", she said. The early-onset diagnosis left their "hopes and dreams" in tatters, and highlighted how little help there is for those who develop the condition under the age of 65, she said. "I never thought I would see myself as a carer but unfortunately, that's what I've become. And a lot of the support available is aimed at people older than us." Jill told BBC North West her husband first displayed symptoms when he was around 60 - he is now 64. The couple have been married for 40 years and had been looking forward to retirement when Stuart was diagnosed. But Jill, who is 62, said their life now bears little resemblance "to the hopes and dreams we had". "We thought we were going to go travelling when we retired. Sadly... that hasn't happened." Stuart is one of more than 70,000 people in the UK living with early, or young-onset dementia, accor

Mar 30, 2026 → Mar 30, 2026