Following her husband Chris’s diagnosis with mixed dementia at the age of 50, Jayne has worked to empower carers of people with dementia by building an information and support network across the UK. She has advised both the UK and Welsh Governments on dementia, most recently with the Welsh Dementia Action Plan. Jayne has been dedicated to supporting Chris’s work as an international speaker on the condition, and sharing her expertise as a carer to support the 670,000 people in the UK who are dementia carers. With her husband, Jayne also featured on a BBC Panorama documentary in 2016 about living with dementia, which reached over 2.8 million viewers.
Jayne said:
“I am truly honoured to have been awarded the Points of Light award for doing what we do. I say we, because the work around highlighting and addressing the stigma, the inequality, and the loss of rights for all people affected by dementia, is a team effort.
“When my husband Chris received his diagnosis, we went from husband and wife to patient and Carer. That is what was expected of us, the norm.
“Chris and I now do all we can to change that discourse, that has been so disabling, disempowering and stigmatising for all of us who share that diagnosis.
“We decided that we weren’t very good at being patient and Carer, and decided to be what we are best at – husband and wife! And so our work began.
“This Point of Light award shines the light on all those doing this day in day out, silently and without complaint, despite the most complex difficulties they are faced with. Dementia Carers count!”
