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PHOTOBIOMODULATION Light Therapy, drug-free pain relief and better healing!

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PHOTOBIOMODULATION Light Therapy, drug-free pain relief and better healing!

Words: Grant Kanaar
Photobiomodulation therapist, Laserway

It is a well established fact that light has powerful effects on living organisms. Significant research has focused on applying specific wavelengths of light directly to skin of individuals in an attempt to effect positive changes with a wide variety of ailments, including pain reduction of various origins and tissue healing. The results are often dramatic and long lasting.

Red light therapy, formally known as photobiomodulation, uses different wavelengths, intensities and durations of application, depending on the ailment. The non surgical, therapeutic application can be used as a highly effective treatment for a manner of conditions, including arthritis, ligament, tendon, cartilage or nerve damage, migraines, acne, tennis elbow, even smoking addiction.

Light is absorbed by certain components – cytochromes – in the cells of both tissues and blood. This causes beneficial changes in nerve fibers, muscle, connective tissue and blood. Both chronic and acute pain, caused by many ailments, are often quickly and effectively controlled.

Laser light, mostly in the red area of the spectrum, (635 to 904 nanometers (nm)) has received considerable research attention. The therapy is referred to as low level laser therapy (LLLT), red light therapy or photobiomodulation. Low levels lasers operate at such a low power level that they do not burn the skin and are completely painless.

The visible red wavelength (635nm) is the most effective for treating problems close to the surface, such as acupuncture points, cuts, scars and wounds. At the near-infrared portion of the spectrum (890nm-904nm) light of this frequency penetrates to a depth of up tp 9 inches. Because of its ability to achieve deep skin penetration, near infrared lasers are highly effective in treating bones, joints and deep muscles.

To give a more technical explanation of how photobiomodulation works; when light is absorbed within a cell, singlet oxygen is produced which in turn causes a change in proton gradients across cell membranes including the mitochondria – the energy storehouse within cells which produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Cell membrane permeability increases, leading to increased ATP levels and the cells become more energetic. Subsequently, increases in DNA production, endothelial cell production and fibroblast proliferation occur. In addition, the application of near-infrared energy increases the nitric oxide content of the blood and blood plasma, resulting in enhanced tissue perfusion, neovascularization and successful wound healing.

For more information on how low level laser therapy can help treat your chronic or acute pain, contact the team at Laserway for an initial consultation. An effective stand alone treatment or can be used in conjunction with your current physio or chiropractic therapy.

Laserway
Lido Medical Centre Suite 3.08
St Saviours Road
JE2 7LA

T: 01534 605056
E: gk.laserway@gmail.com

Season Premier: TV Reboots from Bergerac to Beyond

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Season Premier: TV Reboots from Bergerac to Beyond

WORDS Grant Runyon

For a long, lonely thirty years the faithful people of this Island have waited for beloved crime drama Bergerac to brighten to our screens again. Like a morning flight on a foggy Friday the promised return of Jersey’s favourite son has never quite landed, and the advancing age of John Nettles had led many to give up hope that his iconic burgundy motor would once again drive into the tunnel and emerge in St Peter’s Valley. This made it all the more shocking when in February it appeared that decades of sacrifices to our pagan idol (Oscar the Puffin) had been rewarded: the Radio Times revealed to its core audience of geriatrics that a new series of Bergerac will definitely, probably, possibly happen. This is wonderful news for loyal fans, terrible news for St Aubin-based jewel thieves, but also encouraging for anybody with the creative vision to understand that Jersey’s media profile doesn’t need to stop at a Bergerac reboot. Our Island has more to offer than a Thursday evening slot followed by years of lunchtime repeats watched only by retired people and students. I’ve already taken steps to trademark the exclusive rights to a string of Bergerac reboot websites, and will be setting up both tour companies and a factory in Shenzen to produce tea towels, but I have also developed a handful of Partridge-style pitches that can showcase Jersey’s versatility as a setting for the full spectrum of TV entertainment. 

Top Gear Jersey a.k.a. Second Gear

Once the BBC’s flagship motoring show, Top Gear has never recovered from the departure of its former presenting team when paunchy Papa Bear Jeremy Clarkson biffed a producer because his porridge had gone cold. The show has thrashed about like a dying haddock ever since, perhaps because there’s something truly indefinable about Clarkson’s gifts as an engaging host despite being a wholly unpleasant man you’d avoid in any real-life situation. I can’t remember the names of the other two. Perhaps the answer isn’t just a new presenting team but a new format: the same supercars, but in a location where the average speed is now 20 MPH. At these speeds the BBC could slash insurance costs and more. We’ve already got the supercars, and also the flabby middle-aged men to drive them and speak in the trademarked Top Gear ‘smug dad’ voice. You could have celebs racing The Stig along the 5 Mile Road, a feature on the most lane-blocking 4x4s, and a regular comedy sequence where luxury cars are cheekily parked across both disabled spots outside the supermarket. I guarantee within two episodes Clarkson will beg to come back, although as he’s now an expensive item owned by Amazon it will take days to get him through customs and then he’ll be left on your doorstep in the rain.

Søddernjümpa: a gripping Scandinavian crime series set in the isolated community of Grouville

The British viewing public’s appetite for damp, moody crime dramas from Northern Europe has yet to diminish. Where Bergerac presents a side of Jersey where the sun never goes down, we also have the opportunity to make dramatic use of the wet weather that would result in a visiting filming crew kicking their heels indoors like Sixth Form students waiting for it to be nice enough to skive off and head to the beach. We could work the Scandinavian angle by making the focus of the drama a glum, unsmiling detective from Sweden – who has decided to take a break from her miserable day job by working for the STS language schools in sunny Jersey. Little does she know that it will rain all the time, the Island is full of dark secrets, and that she will be drawn into a soggy murder conspiracy when the designer of a controversial bridge to France is found dead in rainy, mysterious circumstances. I’m telling you, whatever the opposite of ‘hygge’ is we’ve got it in spades.

Strictly Come Battle Idol: St Clement’s Got Talent

The target audience for a Bergerac reboot is 40% millennials who’d watch it ironically and 60% OAPs who just can’t understand the accents in Taggart. The other cultural event that both of these groups adore is the Battle of Flowers, most accurately described as “Brighton Pride, but aimed at the audience for Songs of Praise.” Along these lines one of the more unexpected phenomena of modern telly is the resurgent popularity of shiny, sequinned Saturday night entertainment spectaculars – which have roared back from the 1970s alongside other forgotten favourites like Arctic Roll, measles, and needing to have a permit to drive in France. A TV show that captures the thrilling lead up to the main event of Jersey’s summer season has scope to offer everything that Saturday night TV does best. We’ve got the glamour of the dancers, the artistry of the floats and the star power of Mr Battle. Who cares that H from Steps once turned us down, and that Jimmy Savile did the job twice? I don’t think Peter Andre or the man from the Go Compare adverts will turn their noses up at the opportunity.

The Great British Crown Dependencies Bakeoff 

The strength of “the Bergerac effect” on Jersey’s international profile was something of a sore point for the other Channel Islands. I’m not going to use the word “jealousy,” but it’s fair to say that people in Guernsey are bizarrely enthusiastic about Midsomer Murders. Now more than ever the islands need to stand together, so if Bergerac looks set to return Jersey to its 1980s prominence its only fair that we spread our success around a bit. This can be achieved by a British cooking competition with a twist – that it’s entirely themed around the personalities and produce of the bits of Britain that float in the English Channel. Master bakers from the three main Channel Islands (and Sark) will bombard each other with flour and treacle – with the stipulation that recipes that contain potatoes and full-cream milk are shoehorned in whenever possible. The Jersey-based finale will of course require the contestants to bake a cake with Jersey hemp, black butter and sea lettuce. The winner is given the chef’s job at either an over-priced garden centre tearoom or Sark’s one remaining hotel.

A Game of Thrones: Isle of Dragons

I don’t think anybody’s had a similar idea before, but observing the enduring popularity of swords and sorcery entertainment has always made me think that Jersey would be the perfect setting for a high-budget fantasy epic. We have the castles and the dramatic cliffs, and what we lack in glamorous lead stars we more than make up for in an inexhaustible supply of horsey ladies and people who look like they were born in a hut. Game of Thrones is about to come to its natural end but I’ve no doubt that the producers won’t leave fans or their bank managers waiting for long. We need to make our bid to be next in line to the throne – easily achieved by forcing the inhabitants of St Mary to dress entirely in black and setting out a budget to return the parish aesthetically to the 1400s. Should be a couple of grand at most. As a bonus the special effects men will be thrilled when they learn how regularly the Jersey countryside catches on fire. 

Mike Waddington’s Brikin’ It Talk | Thursday 28th Feb

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Mike Waddington’s Brikin’ It Talk | Thursday 28th Feb

Waddington’s put together this brilliant “Brickin’ It” evening to highlight Jersey’s rich and lost heritage of brick making. Guests learnt about the central part the industry played in the crucial shipbuilding and cod-fishing industries in the nineteenth century. Millions of locally made bricks were used as ballast on the ships heading to Gaspé, Canada, and then used there for construction. They managed to find a brick made by Charles Copp in Five Oaks in c. 1862 and had it shipped back from Paspébiac in Canada and unwrapped as part of the celebrations to promote the idea of reviving the use of brick on the Island.

PwC Strengthens Management in Jersey and Beyond

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PwC Strengthens Management in Jersey and Beyond

Gerlind Smith has joined as Human Capital Director, based in Jersey, having has been with the PwC network for 21 years and relocated to the Islands from Johannesburg. Most recently, Gerlind had responsibility for the entire Human Capital function of PwC across the regions of East, West and Southern Africa. She brings a broad knowledge across the disciplines within Human Capital with particular interest in executive development and organisational design required for the future workplace. Alexandra McInnes re-joins the Firm as a Director leading PwC’s Guernsey Advisory business and Charlotte Beattie also re-joins PwC as she takes on a senior management role in tax, based in Guernsey.  These latest appointments follow on from the milestone promotion announcement last Autumn of Lisa McClure’s admittance as a Partner of the Firm and Leyla Yildirim coming on board as Chief Strategy Officer, having previously held multiple senior roles within the wider PwC network.

Cervical Screening: Empowering not Embarrassing

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Cervical Screening: Empowering not Embarrassing

Not going for a cervical screening is one of the biggest risk factors for developing cervical cancer. We spoke to Doctor Lauren Wilson-Kelly, GP at Indigo Medical, to find out more about more about cervical screening and when it’s time to get checked out, not to put it off. You can see the full interview at: youtube.com/governmentofjersey. You can also search “cervical screening” at gov.je

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT WHEN I TURN UP FOR MY CERVICAL SCREENING?

When you arrive for your appointment, the Doctor will try to put you at ease and will ask if you would like somebody else in the room with you at the time of the procedure. We will invite you to come up onto the bed, ask for you to lie down and remove everything from the waist down. We’ll then ask you to bring your heels up towards your bottom and let your knees part to the sides. First, we’ll use the speculum, which is a little device that we pop into the vagina that opens up and allows us to visualise the neck of the womb (or the cervix). We then use a little brush, which is made of very soft plastic, and stroke it against the neck of the womb to collect some cells that are later sent off to the lab. At the lab, they collect the cells off the end of the brush, put them onto a little slide, stain them and look at them under the microscope, checking for any early changes in the cells that could later go on to develop into a cancer. If we catch it early, in three out of four cases we can prevent cervical cancer through screening.

WHY AM I NOT OFFERED A CERVICAL SCREENING IF I’M UNDER 25?

I understand there is quite a lot of anxiety from women under 25 who feel they should be allowed to have the test. There are actually good reasons why it’s not offered to women under 25, as it’s common for younger women to have abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix, caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which change back to normal and don’t increase the risk of cancer. Having treatment in the colposcopy clinic under the age of 25, for cell changes that would disappear on their own, could result in a slightly increased risk of premature birth in a future pregnancy plus cause unnecessary anxiety and distress for young women.

However, the important thing to say is, if you’re under the age of 25 and you have any symptoms you’re worried about, go to see your GP, talk it through, and potentially have some examinations.

WILL IT BE EMBARRASSING?

It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. What we are thinking about is trying to put you at ease and doing the screening appropriately. I know some women will say, “oh I’m so sorry, I haven’t shaved my legs or waxed” but that’s the last thing on our minds. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about!

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

Screening is actually quite a quick test, generally less than 5 minutes. Results tend to come back within 2-4 weeks and you will receive a letter through the post containing those results. If you are aged 25 to 49, you should attend for cervical screening every three years; if you are aged 50-64, you should attend every five years.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The good news is cervical screening was made free in Jersey eight months ago and numbers have soared by more than a quarter compared to the same period 12 months earlier!

Formed to be wild.

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Formed to be wild.

Durrell welcomes new gorilla troop to Jersey… all 84 of them!

This week, forty life-size gorilla sculptures and forty-four mini ‘young’ gorilla sculptures, which will form the Go Wild Gorillas art trail this summer, arrived in Jersey by boat from the UK.

The blank, white gorilla sculptures are now in place and ready to be transformed by their artists, schools and community groups.

From April to June, artists from across Jersey, the UK and further afield will be heading to the Island to turn each of the life-size, blank gorilla sculptures into a vibrant work of art for both local residents and tourists to marvel at this summer. These brightly coloured sculptures will lead people on a trail of discovery, not only to see the gorillas themselves, but the nature in which they are placed.


The Go Wild Gorillas art trail in partnership with Wild in Art will launch on Monday 29th July and stay in place across Jersey until the 14th October. Meanwhile the ‘young’ gorillas are headed for schools and community groups to be decorated and showcased on a mini art trail of their own.
After the trail has ended, there will be a farewell event from 1st – 4th November at Jersey Zoo, where the public will have the chance to see all the gorillas together in one place before they head off to the auction to find their forever homes.


With only five life-size gorillas left to sponsor, Jersey businesses are encouraged to get in touch with the Durrell team as soon as possible to secure their sculpture. There is also still the opportunity for community groups to sign up for a ‘young’ gorilla and be part of the project.

Find
out more at www.gowildgorillas.com or email Beth.Gallichan@durrell.org

taking one movie at a time.

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taking one movie at a time.

Words and images | John Liot

Helier Bissell-Thomas, the name might not mean much to you, but then several years ago the same could have been said about a certain ‘Henry Cavill’. Jersey’s latest export to Tinseltown finds himself positioned on the other side of the lens, and we find ourselves with another artistic islander to be proud of. Kaufman’s Game, Helier’s feature length directorial debut, which was shot on a budget made possible by maxing out credit cards whilst the burgeoning director was still at University, is available now on the Amazon Prime streaming service. The film impressed me on its confidence and technical prowess. The production of Kaufman’s Game was hardly smooth sailing though, and aside from the expected trials of filming, the young director also took on just about every role necessary to get the film completed, from Director of Photography to tea boy. That hard work seems to have been rewarded with more than a congratulatory pat on the back. After winning Gold at the LA Neo Noir film festival, Helier secured distribution across cinema and video-on-demand services for Kaufman’s Game. His passion-project has turned ripples into waves within the film industry and Helier’s next project is already taking shape with some serious star power behind it.

On a routine trip back to Jersey I caught up with Helier to chat about what a life in film means to him. 

…

You shot Kaufman’s Game on a micro-budget whilst you were still at University. Could you ever have predicted the success the film has had since you released it to the world? 

It’s hard to predict catching lightening in a bottle. You just need to be ready for the catch when it strikes, and meet the moment with all the prep work you’ve put in. Luck and success are born out of preparation meeting opportunity.

Along with directing the piece you were also making the teas and doing just about every other job that was needed of you. What was the most challenging aspect of creating Kaufman’s Game?

Probably having to constantly think around the lack of funds, while wearing twenty different job hats. Sometimes the stars would line up in the heavens and making necessity the mother of invention was simple, but other times it felt like paddling an elephant to Hollywood, in a dinghy. The one real luxury you have making no-budget, independent films, is that you’re on your time, mostly.

What have you learnt most about yourself throughout this entire process – from shooting the film to enjoying its widespread releases across the world?

I think the thing I’ve really taken away from the experience is that trusting your own instincts as a film director, above all others, will pay off for you. If you believe in anything enough, others will. It sounds a bit crazy, but Kaufman’s Game testifies this notion.

You’ve had tremendous success with Kaufman’s Game being picked up by film festivals, VOD streaming services and a secondary run of cinema screenings. Is this setting the bar for your next film really high? How do you make sure your next cinematic offering succeeds the first?

Yes, Kaufman’s Game has been made to feel very welcome by the national and international markets alike, not least in North America. I think as a director, you have to approach one movie project at a time, and not worry too much about what went before it as you develop the project. My next movie will be different though, as this time I’m working with a high budget, and with the collaboration of a top tier cinematographer and casting director, two jobs I did myself on the last one. So this next movie is different, from the ground up, in terms of its team and management, however, the well of inspiration for it hasn’t changed much.

Has your upbringing in Jersey played a part in who you are as a director now?

It must be deeply culminated into the mix of what I love artistically in cinema, I would say. I love the peace and sense of community in Jersey, and I would love to make a movie here at some point; I have some ideas already. Jersey is a truly magical place and great island to get creative and dream up stories… I suppose there’s a certain Film Noir atmosphere to St. Helier at night that I’ve long been aware of… Trying to find Project 52 for a nightcap is a bit of a ‘noir detective adventure’ in itself! It’s a great joint to knock heads with creative types about town. I love hanging out at the Blue Note Bar also, for the Jazz…

Would you like to see Jersey more involved with the film industry?

Yes, more than anything. I think if the States of Jersey agreed a tax rebate for film producers shooting and/or post-producing movies in Jersey, then in time, Jersey could become a little movie-producing powerhouse, like Belgium is, for example.

The Jersey premiere of Kaufman’s Game took place at the Jersey Arts Centre, thanks to its artistic director, Daniel Austin, who really got behind the movie. It was a terrific and well-attended event; that the media covered beautifully. I’ve been talking to Daniel about hosting more premieres, and possibly film festival events at the arts centre again in the future; it’s a really terrific venue.

Earlier this year Michael Pearce released his Jersey-based film, ‘Beast’. All of a sudden we’ve got two emerging young directors from our shores making waves in the creative industry. How does it feel to be part of this new offering of artists to fly the banner for the Channel Islands?

It feels great! Michael’s movie was a terrific achievement, bringing Jersey further into popular culture. I’m very proud of my heritage and to be part of this new guard of Jersey artists, as you describe, thank you. I’m passionate about this to be sure.

Is there a dream project you’d love to do, working with specific people or telling a certain story?

I’m a one movie at a time kind of guy, so my next LA set crime thriller is getting all my attention right now, although at some stage I would like to make a movie in Jersey about the Nazi occupation. I have some ideas of ways to cinematically stylise it without straying from the history too much. I’d partly like to use this as an excuse to shoot a Jersey Cabbage Loaf… If there’s ever been a bread with unsung cinematic star quality, it’s that one! Please don’t pinch my idea…

What have you used for motivation to succeed within this industry and what would you pass on to a younger generation hungry for similar success?

I’m no oracle but I’ve picked up a few things I guess…

Surrounding myself by people who know more than me, and absorbing as much knowledge as I can.

Having powerful mentors who recognise your abilities better than you do.

Watching many movies, old and new, all the time, especially the classics in a big cinema. Movies by titan directors like David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, and Robert Altman were designed to be watched on the big screen with full surround sound, not on VOD links.

Reading a lot of Kafka when you can’t sleep.

Listening to The Beatles when you’re bored.

Spending time in Los Angeles, soaking that city up, it’s the movie biz epicentre still, and probably forever.

Take as many jobs as you can to build up your contact network and make money as your learn and grow your black book.

Eating healthy, keeping fit, not drinking too much.

I’d also say Miles Davis records are a good trigger for Film Noir ideas… He actually composed the score for a French Noir movie once…

When can we expect news from your next project to come out?

It’s all on the way… I’m flying back to LA soon to activate a few things for the next movie with my producer partner, Ben Richards, and its very exciting times. There’ll be official press announcements before long. This is a much bigger movie in scale than Kaufman’s Gamewas, so my approach in shooting it won’t be as touch and go, though the story will be told through the same lens.

Helier Bissell-Thomas, thank you for your time.

BNP Paribas Masquerade Ball | Friday 25th January

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BNP Paribas Masquerade Ball | Friday 25th January

BNP Paribas staff dressed to impress at their Masquerade themed celebration for this year’s annual party. During 2018, BNP Paribas staff generously raised a massive £21,900 for their three chosen charities. Both MIND Jersey and Jersey Hospice Care were presented with a cheque for £9,200 and Guernsey’s Sarah Groves Foundation received £3,500. BNP Paribas staff raised a further £1,095 by holding a raffle on the night, which is a great starting point for 2019’s chosen charities; Macmillan Cancer Support, Jersey Hospice Care and Dementia Friendly Guernsey.

edito: The Partnership Edition

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edito: The Partnership Edition

I have a nostalgic Spotify playlist of the music my Mum used to play when I was younger. I also have one of the songs my Dad played in his car. In the latter category there are songs from some obscure live album by Pet Shop Boys. I remember them singing “I’ve got the brains, you’ve got the looks,
let’s make lots of money”. I don’t think I read too much into it at the age of nine or ten but I do remember thinking that if I was going to be successful I’d need one or the other. And a partner. 

While latently considering this month’s theme ‘partnerships’ the song, ‘Opportunities’ has been running through my head. I have to admit that writing these edito columns usually results in me going down a research rabbit-hole. I therefore know way more about the band than I ever did back then. Every day is a popular culture school day. Fundamentally, that song was actually their demo and was released three times during their rise to fame. Try, try, try again and all that. Since the Pet Shop Boys are still touring in a selection of interesting hats and making music 30 odd years on, I guess the strategy and their partnership worked pretty damn well. 

Perseverance, a partner and a hat is are clearly a firm recipe for success. That’s definitely the case for partners in crime (fighting) PC Dave Bisson and our pet of the month, his canine partner Turbo. They’re a police partnership who have been working together for five years. Although not all have hats or dogs, we look at a variety of other partnerships over the coming pages. From sisters who share a passion for parties to a husband and wife that are all about wellness; from a racket-wielding sporting couple who to a motorbike wielding adventurous quad, a partnership of partnerships who will be taking on the 

Batman had Robin, Laurel had Hardy, Jay-Z has Beyonce, Ren has Stimpy. With the right like-minded person in your corner, it’s often easier to take on the world. That’s probably why us humans ultimately like to find another one we like, live in the same space as them and even make small versions of ourselves. This month’s Bridal Bible supplement, included in the edition and distributed to the wedding fairs this year, features all the considerations for people looking to seal the deal with their chosen partner and plan the biggest day of their lives. Our annual A-Z is here to help with tips to guide you. It’s going to take longer to finalise that table plan and sort the catering than you think. It’s a good job there are two of you on the executive committee. 

BD

The Dementia Champion

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The Dementia Champion

By Julia Hunt

Coffee with … Jason Stolte, Investment Manager, Quilter Cheviot

If losing someone you love is one of the hardest things in life; losing someone you love every day, for several years, changes the whole way you see life.

For Jason Stolte, the death of his father last year, nearly seven years after he was diagnosed with dementia, marked a turning point.

At 50, Jason had worked in Finance in Jersey nearly half his life. He had a wife and two teenage sons, a job he loved, and plenty of friends. It wasn’t a question of stepping back, but of evaluating his relationship with his family, stepping up his commitment to help people affected by dementia, and embracing even more of what life has to offer.

“We had been losing my dad for years.” Jason said. “Dementia turned him from an outgoing gentleman, who was always positive and had a larger-than-life personality, to an almost unresponsive shell of himself.

“Dementia creates a constant sense of loss. As the person you love loses their memories, their ability to communicate, and all their other mental and physical capabilities, even forgetting who you are, you continuously lose more of that person. It’s gradual but it’s still an awful shock.”

The loss of his father happened around the same time Jason’s employer, Quilter Cheviot became a dementia friendly and aware business.  As well as contributing £150,000 over a three-year period to a dementia friendly charity in the UK, Quilter Cheviot has rolled out a company-wide initiative training staff to recognise early signs of dementia in clients. The firm has appointed Dementia Champions in each of its 12 offices around the British Isles, with Jason heading the initiative in Jersey.

The Dementia Champions underwent training in the UK by the Alzheimer’s Society to understand dementia at a deep level, and to recognise its signs, symptoms and how to provide care in various circumstances. In turn, the Dementia Champions trained all the other Quilter Cheviot staff.

Jersey Alzheimer’s Association estimates there are over 1,400 people in the Island living with dementia, many who haven’t been diagnosed, and they expect the figure to double over the next 25 years.

Figures from the Alzheimer’s Society indicate more than 850,000 people in the UK have dementia and it has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales. With the number of people with dementia in the UK expected to rise to over one million by 2025 and over two million by 2051, a third of people could be impacted by dementia, either directly or through a close relative.

As an Investment Manager, Jason meets clients from all over the world, looking after high net worth individuals, pensions and trusts.

He said: “One in 14 people over the age of 65 is being diagnosed with dementia, a figure that is expected to rise. As the average age of a Quilter Cheviot client is 64, this could affect a large number of our clients, so it’s clearly a very relevant issue. By training staff to recognise the signs of dementia in clients at an early stage we can identify whether clients are in the position to be able to take decisions about investment themselves, or whether they need to make a Legal Power of Attorney (LPA), and alert family or trustees when appropriate.

“It’s clearly a very sensitive matter, especially as someone who is starting to have dementia will often reject the suggestion either because of how the disease is affecting their brain, or because they really don’t want to face up to the possibility they are suffering from dementia.”

Jason’s personal experiences of dementia – watching his father’s symptoms worsen until the point where he could no longer be cared for by Jason’s mother at home – mean he is acutely aware how families may feel if they are told their loved one may have the condition.

“Dementia is a degenerative disease with currently no cure.” Jason said. “Symptoms can plateau for a while but eventually accelerate for the worse. My father was German and as the disease progressed, he lost the ability to speak English, and even to walk. The long-term memory is the last to be lost. However, there were moments of surprise and clarity even in the late stages.  My Dad had recognised a stranger that looked like his late mother. Barely having spoken a word for some time, he remarked in clear English that the stranger looked like his late mother.

“When he was in the care home, he just sat placidly in his chair most of the day. Some people with dementia can be very agitated, and sometimes violent, but my dad exuded a lovely calm and was the nurses’ favourite in the home. He just had a faraway expression most of the time.”

As a top-level chef Jason’s father had travelled the world, working at exclusive resorts in Switzerland and Jamaica, where he even cooked for royalty. Since his father’s death Jason has been even more determined to make long-lasting memories with his own children – going surfing or mountain biking every weekend with his sons and taking more photos than he would ever have dreamed of when they were young children.

“It’s so easy to take photos on your phone. When my kids were young you had to go to the effort of getting a camera out every time, and sometimes by the time you’d got it all set up, the moment was over. Seeing my dad lose his memories, has made me want to capture as much as I can with my boys.

“The doctors say my dad’s condition is not hereditary. There’s no reason why he had it -it was just bad luck. But in a way, that makes me even more determined to make the most of what I have now, and to show my sons, and the people I love how much they mean to me, and not take anything for granted.

“I had a good relationship with my father, but I don’t think I really appreciated how much I loved him until after he had gone. If I could go back, I would have told him how much he meant to me, and how much I loved him.”

Life goes on after loss. Jason has been busier than ever at work, training colleagues in dementia awareness and regularly travelling on business to see clients in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Mauritius.

“Travelling in Africa to places like Johannesburg where there are regular car jackings and shootings, or to Nigeria, where there’s a risk of being kidnapped helps put it all into perspective. A friend’s wife died at the age of 40 from falling down the stairs. My mother-in-law also passed away last year. We just don’t know what is going to happen to us but seeing what happened to my father has taught me to be more tolerant and less judgemental especially to those more vulnerable.

It’s about living for the day, and not taking anyone, or any aspect of life for granted. As I tell my boys, chase your dreams.”

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Learn more about Maggie at www.barenakedcoach.com

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