A Clydebank dad-of-two has told how he felt as if “my life had come to an end” after being diagnosed with dementia at just 52.

Danny McDonald says doctors initially thought he was suffering from depression when he disclosed that he was struggling to concentrate at work.

However, the 55-year-old says it was fortunate that the GP also referred him for a CT scan, which revealed he had Vascular Dementia, a common type of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.

Symptoms include poor concentration and mood changes.

Danny, who lives in Clydebank with his wife Catherine, says his son and daughter, both in their teens at the time, have dealt with the diagnosis really well despite the challenges: “The parent, child roles are reversed. They are looking after me.”

He has had to give up his job working in homelessness services for Falkirk Council and says it was an observant manager who noticed the change in his behaviour.

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He said: “I was a night shift worker and our computer system had changed and one of my colleagues spent most of the night explaining it to me.

“By the morning I couldn’t remember each stage that was required. It was very shortly after that, that a manager took me aside and said, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you but you are not remembering the simplest of tasks.’

“So I went to the doctor and they did the memory task and I got a CT scan.

“I think they were quite surprised given my age but they nevertheless said they would get it checked.

“Initially, the diagnosis was depression but when I got the scan, they found I had Vascular Dementia and had actually suffered a silent stroke, which is related to the dementia. Since then I’ve had a couple of smaller strokes.

“Initially you feel as if your life has come to an end. I thought it was an illness that affected older people. You don’t know what life holds for you.

“But the following day we phoned Alzheimer Scotland and a dementia advisor came to our house and spent a bit of time with us.”

Glasgow Times:

According to Susan Rendell, who has supported younger people affected by dementia on behalf of Alzheimer Scotland and is now a training adviser for the charity, around 3,500 Scots are thought to be affected.

Care needs may be different to older people, she says. They may have a young family and are likely to be working full time.

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In common with elderly people, however, there is the anxiety of the future care burden and financial responsibility that may be placed on spouses.

Susan said: “With younger people it tends to be rarer dementias such as frontotemporal dementia and Pick’s Disease.

“There is still a perception that dementia is an older person’s illness. It can affect anyone at any age.

“I think as we are progressing in society, GPs are hopefully better equipped to diagnose dementia but there are still issues.

“What we need to make sure is that Danny’s positive experience is replicated.”

Danny is supportive of a campaign by Alzheimer Scotland, supported by our sister paper the Glasgow Times, that people with dementia have access to free healthcare in the final years or months of their life.

He said: “It’s a worry. My wife has power of attorney and if you deteriorate rapidly you don’t know what kind of care provision you would have.”

Meanwhile, the father-of-two says he is just continuing to live his life and says being diagnosed with dementia has actually had positive repercussions.

He said: “I don’t think about the future too much. At the age I’m at, I could live for another 20 years.

“Conversely, I could also live for another five years. You make the most of today.

“My children are adults now and it would be nice to see grandchildren.

“We are very fortunate in Clydebank that we have a dementia resource centre right on our doorstep.

“We go to a community choir which is for everyone but inclusive of people with dementia, we go to a supper club and I go to a day centre twice a week.We’ve made a lot of very good friends, some of which we socialise with.

“In lots of ways it has been a positive experience.”

To listen to the full podcast interview go to www.heraldscotland.com