Elizabeth is Missing

[longwayoff]

Excellent and very sad production. Glenda Jackson is superb.

Both our mothers are now in care homes with dementia. This programme made us both cry as we remembered how difficult life was as the disease took hold. Unless you know what you're seeing, you don't necessarily recognise dementia. The GP asking Maud questions - my mother was asked exactly the same, it's a recognised test of cognitive ability. So sad, and an excellent portrayal.

@diddl are you asking whether it happens that people with dementia stop recognising their family? If so, the answer is yes. My stepmother stopped recognising me, my father and even her own sons.

My mum always seems pleased to see me but she never calls me by name. I don't know if she knows who I am and I'm afraid to ask her. She has forgotten nearly everything and is no longer the person she was. Dementia is vile.

"@diddl are you asking whether it happens that people with dementia stop recognising their family? "

Not exactly as I know that they do.

It was that Maud didn't know Helen, & then did & also knewthat she hadn't known her iyswim.

I didn't think that she would remember the not knowing iyswim.

Occasionally my parent doesn't know me & I'd hate to think that they remembered this & how nasty they had been to me.

My SIL's mother had dementia and was in a care home. On one visit she smiled at SIL as she sat down next to her and said "Just waiting for my daughter, she's visiting me today. "
SIL : "Mum, I'm your daughter! "
Her mum, laughing : " Oh, get away with you!"
It probably happens a lot.

@diddl I know what you mean. My mother doesn't have these moments of clarity, although some days are a bit better than others. I suppose it depends on the severity of the dementia. Although she was struggling badly, Maud could still get to the toilet by herself, run a bath and lock a door. My mum can manage none of those things without help now.

@MereDintofPandiculation

Sukey was murdered at her house with the birds, Maudie lived at home with her parents and lodger

I've just watched this. It was filmed near my home town.
Found it quite hard to watch, my mum had dementia. I also took my mum to stay with me before she had to go into a care home. It felt very real. I'll never forget the first time she didn't recognise me.
Glenda Jackson was brilliant, so was the daughter.

It was excellent and lovely to see Glenda Jackson back. She was one of the best British actresses of the 60s and 70s. Both Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda were brave in their choices of roles over the years. I’ve always liked Maggie Smith and Julie Christie too. No plastic faces there just talent.

Julie Christie had quite a bit of plastic surgery actually. Pretty sure the others didn't though.

Yes, mad woman existed. She didn't have alzheimers, she was unsettled by losing her only son in the war. She saw the murder, but wasn't believed, just as Maud, who didn't believe the mad woman, was herself not believed about Elizabeth.

Just caught up with this and read the book when it came out. I can't believe how much they packed into 90 minutes - not a bit wasted. Hope she does more tv work.

Well she surely wasn't believed about Elizabeth because Elizabeth wasn't missing?

So for example when she told her son that Helen wouldn't let her see Elizabeth, it could be because Elizabeth's son didn't want her at the hospital, that she had visited & forgotten...

Watched this last night,
i dont think i could have watched it if i had someone with dementia in the family.
Very good.
loved the teenager
very moving. fantastic acting from Glenda and All of them in fact.

Wow that was very moving. Incredible acting from GJ and the daughter and a very realistic portrayal of life with dementia from both sides ..... the bus stop scene was very sad, I remember my mum being very affectionate one minute and then looking blankly at me the next .... terrible disease

I just finished watching. Cried a lot. True to the excellent novel and very moving, especially as a close relative had alzheimers.

I watched this on Saturday night on i player. Absolutely incredible.

I love Glenda Jackson. She was fantastic in this. Best thing there has been on TV in a long long time.

Many years ago we were visiting my DHS aunt i hospital when the patient in the next bed started talking as a nurse entered the cubicle.

"Oh hello my darling Do you want me to take my clothes off" She had Alzheimers and she thought it was post World War 2 and that the nurse was her husband home from the war.

Just watched this. It was excellent. I started reading the book but it was shortly after we'd lost my nan who had dementia and I didn't finish the book as it wasn't the right time to read it.

My nan would sometimes forget things and know she'd forgotten them iyswim. She would have times of perfect clarity and other times of complete confusion sometimes within moments and she'd say 'I'm going mad' so she did realise to some degree, although didn't understand.