Alzheimer’s Society ad on mother dying ‘again and again’ cleared despite being accused of causing ‘unjustifiable distress’
A dementia ad which detailed how a woman affected by Alzheimer’s disease died “again, again and again” received 235 complaints by viewers.
The Alzheimer’s Society ads were broadcast on both TV and radio in March and April, but some viewers claimed they caused “unjustifiable distress” and were irresponsible.
The ad featured a man at his mother’s wake describing how dementia eventually made her forget even the basics, including his name.
The ads have been cleared of causing ‘unjustifiable distress’. Pic: PA
“Mum first died on the 12th of May 2019 when she couldn’t work out how to prepare her legendary roast any more,” he said.
“The style icon of the Covington estate. Mum died as a fashionista the day she couldn’t get dressed into her colourful outfits.”
He continued: “She died as the queen of Christmas when she refused to have dinner with the family. She died again when she asked me, her son, what my name was.
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“She died as dad’s rock after 52 years of marriage the day she looked straight through him.
“On the 10th of March 2024, mum died a final time, surrounded by her family.”
The ad switched between scenes of the woman’s past life. Pic: PA
A voice-over then said: “With dementia, you don’t just die once. You die again and again and again. Which is why at Alzheimer’s Society we’ll be with you again and again and again.”
Viewers complained that the ads were excessively distressing, offensive and irresponsible.
However, the ads have now been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as they found that “any distress caused was justified by the ads’ messages”.
The Alzheimer’s Society said it was “conscious from the outset that a campaign about the realities of dementia would be sensitive and potentially challenging for some audiences” and it approached the campaign with due care.
The charity said the script was written by a person who had lost their father to dementia 18 months previously “for whom the long goodbye rang true”.
Ad clearance agency Clearcast said they understood the ads could be upsetting but did not believe they were irresponsible or exploitative.
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When approving the ads, they took into consideration that the Alzheimer’s Society was an authority on the issue, and provided support for people living with Alzheimer’s as well as investing in research into the disease.
The ASA said the ads, and particularly the references to death, could cause a significant emotional impact with a wider audience.
The ASA said: “We acknowledged that the ads, and particularly the references to dying ‘again and again and again’ were likely to cause potentially significant distress to some people with Alzheimer’s, particularly to those who had recently been diagnosed.
“However, we considered that the ads presented an accurate and sensitively delivered portrayal of the reality of the disease.”
It added: “Overall, we considered that any distress caused was justified by the ads’ messages.
“For the reasons set out above we concluded that the ads were not irresponsible, did not cause serious or widespread offence, and did not cause unjustifiable distress.”
A woman who was stabbed to death in north London has been named by police – as a man was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Pamela Munro, 45, was found with a stab wound and died at the scene in Ayley Croft, Enfield, on Saturday evening, the Metropolitan Police said.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Monday and is in custody, the force added.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil John said: “Investigating officers have worked relentlessly across the weekend to investigate the circumstances around Pamela’s death.
“We continue to support her family who are understandably devastated.”
Police at the scene at Ayley Croft in Enfield
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The Met Police has asked anyone with information or who was driving through Ayley Court between 6.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday and may have dashcam footage to contact the force.
A “British man” has died after being beaten and set on fire by a mob in Ecuador, according to reports by media in the South American country.
According to reports, the man – who has not been officially identified – had been detained by police after being accused of being involved in a fatal shooting.
Ecuadorian news outlet Ecuavisa reported that the man had been taken to a police station Playas del Cuyabeno, a remote village in the Amazon rainforest.
While there, a group broke into the station and took the man away. He was then set on fire in the street, it is reported, and died from his burns.
The incident reportedly happened in the Playas del Cuyabeno area of Sucumbios province
Another local report, from EXTRA.ec, said that specialist police units had been slow to arrive due to the geographical conditions of the area – which is accessible by river.
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According to reports, police officers at the station apparently decided they could not intervene when the mob arrived out of concerns for their own safety.
It is understood the UK Foreign Office is following up reports about the incident and working with local authorities to confirm the details.
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