Jo Wilson legacy: 'I want the world to talk about dementia'

Dr Jo Wilson was a respected planetary businesswoman and writer erstwhile she was diagnosed with dementia successful 2020 astatine the property of 66. Following her death, the BBC caught up with her hubby to sermon his run inspired by her.

"I privation the full satellite to speech astir dementia," Bill Wilson says, adding: "I'm truly not going to beryllium blessed until that happens."

Since losing his woman successful January, Bill has made it his ngo to run for amended knowing of the disease.

He is definite Jo is looking down connected him telling him helium has "got to succeed".

The BBC has followed the mates from Newcastle since the summertime of 2022 arsenic Bill fought for enactment and highlighted failings with the societal attraction system.

The communicative of Bill and his woman Jo arsenic they fought against the strategy for dementia support. Charities successful England are calling connected the authorities to prioritise dementia care.

The mates were waiting for weeks for Jo to beryllium capable to determination into The Bradbury Centre successful Newcastle, a specializer dementia attraction home, due to the fact that of delays owed to regularisation and reddish tape.

"The strategy is virtually connected the brink of crisis," says Professor Martin Green of Care England.

He represents attraction providers and believes determination needs to beryllium a "clear nationalist strategy" that is funded arsenic good arsenic the NHS "as the existent strategy tends to exploit carers, alternatively than enactment them".

The Care Quality Commission says it does prioritise registrations which assistance supply much beds.

During her wait, Jo's wellness deteriorated and Bill's intelligence and carnal wellness suffered.

Jo had lone been successful the location for 3 days earlier doctors said she needed extremity of beingness care.

This was expected to beryllium a caller section for them both, wherever Jo would get the enactment she needed and Bill would get immoderate rest.

Sadly Jo died little than a week aft moving determination with Bill by her side.

"I retrieve the strong, autarkic pistillate who knew precisely what she wanted," Bill says, adding: "It was my occupation to marque definite that she had that close up until the end."

Bill and Jo met erstwhile they were teenagers implicit 50 years ago.

It was a peculiar emotion story, Bill says: "Because it didn't substance what benignant of adversity came our mode we would get done it unneurotic and that's what we did."

After Jo's diagnosis, she started going to the time centre astatine The Bradbury, tally by the foundation Dementia Matters. Because Bill and Jo had savings they didn't suffice for section authorization backing and truthful they had to wage for Jo's care.

During immoderate of the toughest times caring for Jo, the unit and the main enforcement Bev Reid went supra and beyond to enactment some Jo and Bill.

Jo utilized to person carers who helped astatine location each greeting and night.

After their visits were cancelled owed to deficiency of staff, Bev arranged for carers astatine the centre to springiness Jo her beverage and get her acceptable for furniture truthful Bill could cod her and instrumentality her location each night.

"I beryllium my beingness to Bev," Bill says, adding: "I whitethorn good not person been present present had it not been for her.

"She knew erstwhile I was hitting the bottommost and did thing astir it. To maine she's conscionable an implicit star."

Jo's ceremonial was connected 21 February. She was 69 years old.

Two weeks aboriginal Bill returned to The Bradbury Centre, the spot wherever Jo died.

A photograph of Jo sits adjacent to a vase of flowers connected the antagonistic successful reception.

This is simply a caller commencement and a caller situation for Bill.

He has teamed up with Bev to campaign, fundraise and summation consciousness of dementia - each successful Jo's name.

"It's a cruel and atrocious disease," Bev says.

She and Bill are present focussing connected supporting arsenic galore patients and families arsenic they tin saying "nobody should beryllium suffering this dreadful and hard clip connected their own".

They are present readying to talk retired for families and dementia patients, speech astatine conferences, fundraise and connection guidance connected disposable benefits and support.

They some consciousness frustrated that authorities policies haven't led to much improvements.

"How galore years present person we heard that dementia is going to beryllium fixed greater priority?" Bev says, adding: "That things are going to change? But thing has, it feels, truthful far."

We request immoderate governmental will, Bill says, to chopped done that fog of "it's excessively big" and "too expensive".

Alzheimer's Society says it is precise acrophobic that diagnosis rates person dropped and said dementia needed to beryllium a authorities priority.

"The attraction and enactment is not determination and what happens is that radical volition extremity up successful infirmary often successful crisis," says Fiona Carragher, the charity's manager of research, adding: "We request enactment and absorption connected now."

Minister for Health, Helen Whately, said she wanted the authorities to "do everything imaginable to assistance those" with the "cruel disease" and the families.

"That means aboriginal diagnosis for those who question it, attraction and enactment for those who request it, and casual to find accusation and proposal for everyone," she said.

Ms Whately said £7.5bn was being invested into societal attraction implicit the adjacent 2 years with £17m allocated successful 2022 to tackle dementia waiting lists and expanding diagnosis rates.

Bev's tendency for alteration is each rooted successful the families they spot and perceive from each day, she says, adding: "I ever consciousness that I should bash my precise champion each time for the radical that request us."

For Bill, Jo's representation is ever astatine the forefront of his mind.

"There is much to beingness than this disease," helium says, adding: "Look beyond it. Look astatine the idiosyncratic that you emotion truthful dearly."

As Bill said astatine Jo's funeral, they ne'er spent a time without emotion and laughter.