An ex-TV producer turned care home campaigner has heaped praise on a group of ‘particularly wonderful’ Winchester carers for their help with managing his wife’s dementia.

Michael Blakstad delivered the personal account of his family’s dementia journey in his memoirs, which he had help printing by Colten Care - the company which own and run the dedicated dementia care home where his wife Tricia has been a resident for the past year.

The family say they chose St Catherines View in Winchester after a search for a home staffed and equipped to accommodate all stages of dementia.

But their overall experience of the care sector before that, particularly during the pandemic, has prompted him to call for fundamental changes in how the industry approaches the growing challenge of degenerative conditions among elderly people.

Mr Blakstad, who is 82 and lives with Parkinson’s disease, said: “Homes which can only look after residents in the early stages of dementia are reluctant to admit that they will not be able to cope if the condition gets worse.

“They should be clear about what they provide and not say ‘nursing’ or ‘dementia’ if that’s not what they do.”

Mr Blakstad had a successful career in national television, making award-winning programmes such as Tomorrow’s World for the BBC and many science documentaries.

After researching homes potentially able to accommodate Tricia’s advancing dementia, the family settled on St Catherines View as it is relatively near East Meon - the Hampshire village where they lived for years. They also said they were reassured by the availability of qualified nurses.

“St Catherines View struck us as having the best attitude and atmosphere and it was a great relief when they told us they would accept Tricia,” said Mr Blackstad, who also had two months of respite care at the home last year.

“When she moved there, the more enlightened policies of Colten Care seemed to improve her physical, if not her cognitive, health.

“Of course, like other homes, the staff have been constrained by the impact of Covid, but they have been able to maintain outstanding care and continue to facilitate visiting with considerate interpretation of the constraints.

“All carers are wonderful but at St Catherines View they are particularly wonderful. Colten Care train their staff so well.

“They have also got the environment right, with the building divided into small house groups and teams, and with ready access to a beautiful, purpose-designed garden.

“Tricia has had the best care possible at every stage of her time at St Catherines View otherwise I am sure her dementia would be worse.”

Michael has dedicated his memoirs, called Mouth of the South, to Tricia, their son, twin daughters and five grandchildren, and the team at St Catherines View.

He writes: “Mouth of the South is dedicated to Tricia 1, my beautiful and dedicated wife who supported me and our family for 55 years, and to Tricia 2, the different but equally lovable resident of St Catherines View. It is also dedicated to the nurses, carers and other staff of this care home, who are looking after her so well.”

With Colten Care’s help, Michael has printed a small number of paper copies of his memoirs for friends and family.

He is happy to provide free-of-charge digital versions to any students researching the use of media in care homes - a topic he covers extensively in his writing - who email a request to michaelblakstad@gmail.com.