![\"Three](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2022\/02\/20\/08\/8443572-10530707-Three_years_ago_I_took_part_in_a_unique_reality_TV_experiment_I_-a-1_1645347343197.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThree years ago, I took part in a unique reality TV experiment: I was invited to have lunch at The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes, a pop-up cafe staffed entirely by people with dementia<\/a>.<\/p>\n
It was \u2013 and yes, I understand the irony \u2013 an unforgettable experience. The food was provided by a Michelin-starred chef.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it was maitre d\u2019 Peter Berry who made the day, for me \u2013 not least for unashamedly not recognising the celebs, including Downton Abbey<\/a> actor Hugh Bonneville and comedian David Baddiel, who turned up to eat.<\/p>\n
After serving my starter, Peter came over with the pudding menu. \u2018I\u2019m going to have my main course first,\u2019 I laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s better than not asking at all,\u2019 he shot back.<\/p>\n
The Channel 4 show aimed to destigmatise dementia, which is a good idea, as it\u2019s something that will affect more than one million Britons in the next few years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Few could fail to have been touched by the warmth and charm of the unlikely stars.<\/p>\n
And during the pandemic, I wondered how Peter was coping \u2013 so a few weeks back when I was invited to talk to him about the charity bike rides he\u2019d been undertaking since we last met, I immediately said yes.<\/p>\n
Peter was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s seven years ago, aged 50, and was forced to sell the family business, a sawmill, where he\u2019d worked since school and inherited from his father.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The vast majority of dementia sufferers are in their 80s, or older, but roughly 40,000 Britons, like Peter, have early-onset disease, which develops before 65.<\/p>\n
As he struggled to read and write, daughter Kate, now a 26-year-old hairdresser, encouraged him to record a diary on YouTube.\u00a0His videos were spotted by Channel 4 producers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Three years ago, I took part in a unique reality TV experiment: I was invited to have lunch at The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes, a pop-up cafe staffed entirely by people with dementia. It was maitre d\u2019 Peter Berry (right) who made the day, for me \u2013 not least for unashamedly not recognising the celebs, including Downton Abbey actor Huge Bonneville and comedian David Baddiel, who turned up to eat.<\/p>\n
Since the show aired, he has raised \u00a323,000 for the Young Dementia Network and Alzheimer\u2019s Research UK, by cycling from Aberystwyth in the west of Wales to Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast and doing a Four Counties challenge on a penny farthing. He is now planning to try abseiling.<\/p>\n
He has written two books on dementia \u2013 one is on the curriculum for the University of Hull and Bangor\u2019s MSc course in dementia studies \u2013 and is a regular guest on Radio Suffolk.<\/p>\n
\u2018We have achieved a lot, I think, though I can\u2019t always remember what we\u2019ve achieved,\u2019 Peter jokes when I ask him about all this, but adds: \u2018Having a purpose is a very important thing for everybody.\u2019<\/p>\n
Covid hit people with dementia hard. A quarter of those who died from the virus had dementia, and lockdown had an equally profound impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n
People with dementia in old people\u2019s homes were barred from seeing loved ones and in 2020, non-Covid dementia deaths spiked by 50 per cent \u2013 campaigners said many, believing their families had abandoned them, simply gave up.<\/p>\n
The ever-changing rules also caused a huge strain on people with dementia living in their own homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Apathy, irritability and anxiety, fuelled by lack of social engagement, were reported in studies of patients and their families.<\/p>\n
Could this make dementia itself worse? Yes, says Professor June Andrews, an expert in the care of older people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Depression and loneliness can make dementia symptoms worse,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n
\u2018Not being able to go about our lives was bad enough for most people. But it would have been particularly stressful and confusing for some with dementia.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
The good news is that as things get back to normal, some of the lockdown-induced deterioration could improve, adds Prof Andrews.<\/p>\n
When we meet, at his home in the village of Friston, Suffolk, Peter\u2019s wife Teresa, also 57, says they feel they got off fairly lightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018During the first lockdown, the weather was so lovely. We went cycling and we have our garden. So from my perspective, it wasn\u2019t that bad. But as restrictions began to ease and we could meet a few more people, Peter had forgotten some of them.\u2019<\/p>\n
On the surface, Peter seemed unchanged. But he has no recollection of our first meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2022\/02\/20\/08\/54396551-10530707-Peter_Berry_was_diagnosed_with_Alzheimer_s_seven_years_ago_aged_-a-2_1645347343234.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Peter Berry was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s seven years ago, aged 50, and was forced to sell the family business, a sawmill, where he\u2019d worked since school and inherited from his father<\/p>\n
He couldn\u2019t tell me what he\u2019d had for breakfast, but then regaled me with anecdotes from his days at the sawmill, and recalls the time his father met Margaret Thatcher.<\/p>\n
\u2018I forget many things,\u2019 he says. \u2018But I remember things that happened a long time ago.\u2019<\/p>\n
To sit and chat to Peter, you\u2019d be hard pressed to know anything much was the matter. But he seemed aware that the illness is gradually whittling away at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018The first year I did my cycle challenge from Wales to Aldeburgh, I knew the route and felt as if I had my finger on the pulse of what was happening,\u2019 he says. \u2018<\/p>\n
A year later we did the penny farthing ride and I never knew where we were. I got on and followed everybody else.\u2019<\/p>\n
Peter and Teresa try to live life in the moment, but it is tough. Peter \u2018bottles up his feelings\u2019, says Teresa, who admits she \u2018cries almost every day\u2019.<\/p>\n
They rarely leave home for long, now. \u2018Peter finds it hard,\u2019 says Teresa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018He\u2019s happy to potter in the garden but if he\u2019s in an unfamiliar environment, he gets much more confused which is heartbreaking.\u2019<\/p>\n
Teresa noticed that Peter was struggling with his memory when he began relying on Post-it notes to prompt him and began to get lost while driving to familiar places \u2013 he has since given up his licence.<\/p>\n
Today he is on the drug donepezil, which affects levels of chemicals in the brain and has been shown to help lessen forgetfulness and confusion in some people with dementia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Teresa admits things have gradually worsened.<\/p>\n
\u2018He repeats himself, because he doesn\u2019t remember if he\u2019s said something. And if you ask him what he\u2019s been up to, or where he\u2019s been, he won\u2019t really be able to answer.<\/p>\n
‘But he knows if he\u2019s had a good time \u2013 that\u2019s a feeling that doesn\u2019t go away. And that\u2019s my focus, making sure he\u2019s got something to smile about.\u2019<\/p>\n
Peter says: \u2018After we were diagnosed \u2013 and I say \u201cwe\u201d because it affects the whole family \u2013 it took me a while to get my head around it and cope with the depression. But then I had the idea that I wanted to help others to live well.<\/p>\n
\u2018I wanted to challenge myself for as long as I could to do something different that would push the boundaries. I achieve more now than I did prior to the condition because I\u2019m trying to pack more in.\u2019<\/p>\n
Teresa adds: \u2018It\u2019s made me realise what\u2019s important. If you gave a million pounds, it wouldn\u2019t make a difference to me.\u00a0Well, I mean, it\u2019d be nice I won\u2019t lie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘But it couldn\u2019t give Peter his health back \u2013 and really life is about the small things, like being in garden or cycling together. That\u2019s what matters the most.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three years ago, I took part in a unique reality TV experiment: I was invited to have lunch at The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes, a pop-up cafe staffed entirely by people with dementia. It was \u2013 and yes, I understand the irony \u2013 an unforgettable experience. The food was provided by a Michelin-starred chef.\u00a0 But Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-286733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286733\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}