When Charley Webb, an Emmerdale actress, learned that her mother Helen had Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, her world was turned upside down. The soap star discussed how challenging life has been over the past eight years while making an appearance on Friday’s episode of This Morning.
Charley Webb of Emmerdale revealed to hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary that she first noticed changes in her mother when she would forget quite important things.
Even though Charley’s worries were at first dismissed, the ITV star knew something wasn’t right because, as she admitted, it was difficult to get a diagnosis because her mother was in denial at the time.
Dermot inquired, “This isn’t an NHS issue, it becomes, I suppose, a social care issue,” wanting to know what happens after the diagnosis.
The This Morning host questioned how difficult it would have been for Charley to pay for her mother’s care knowing that she would have had to.
It’s very difficult, she remarked, “I feel like when you get the diagnosis it’s like, ‘there you go, off you go now’. “Where do I start?” you ask.
After her mother’s diagnosis, the former Emmerdale star told Alison and Dermot that no support or assistance had been given.
Charley continued, “It was actually shocking. It’s been the worst period of our lives so far—basically eight years of hell—for me and my siblings.
The decision to place her in a home was the hardest one we had to make; she is now there.
The soap star touched on how she has lost the woman she knew, acknowledging that it has taken some time for her to publicly discuss her mother’s condition.
“You lose them right before your eyes, and I think that’s the hardest thing,” continued Charley.
“Even though they’re still here, you miss the person that they were.
“She’s like a little girl now, and it’s taken me a long time to be able to speak about it.”
Following the announcement that Julie Goodyear had been given a dementia diagnosis, the 35-year-old appeared on This Morning and discussed her personal experience with Alzheimer’s.
The 81-year-old, who is best known for playing Bet Lynch in Coronation Street, made the decision to get help from a doctor after “suffering forgetfulness.”
Recently, the devastating news was revealed by her husband Scott Brand, who said: “We now know that there is no hope of a reverse in the situation and that her condition will get gradually, and perhaps quickly, worse.
We decided to make the diagnosis public because Julie still enjoys going out to eat and seeing her friends.
Fans love to meet her and she is inevitably recognized by them, but she can become disoriented, especially if she is tired. I’m hoping everyone will comprehend.
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