1. Coronation Street Storyline on Alzheimer’s. It’s Truth, Fact and Fiction Time
www.dementia.co.uk
This is our fourth post on the storyline that Coronation Street are using with
Alzheimer’s as the theme. We first posted back in July 2011, when we had
a feeling that the scriptwriters of the UK’s best loved TV soap were going to use
an Alzheimer’s story line. But what are we to make of the direction they are
taking with the Alzheimer’s story line and how are they doing?
There seems to be a mixed bag of feelings when it comes to the storyline and the
way that the subject is being handled on the Street. We have received many
comments from many people, some are in favour and some are against the way that
the storylines have been written.
A good few of our readers seem to think that the reality of how carers of Alzheimer‟s
sufferers have to deal with a person have been shown in its true light, but equally a
good deal of people seem to think that the story is going too far and painting
people with Alzheimer‟s and the people who care for them in a bad light.
In a few of the latest episodes of Coronation Street shown since mid March, and
especially in the last few weeks, the storylines surrounding Leslie, played by Judy
Holt, Paul, played by Tony Hirst and Eileen, played by the brilliant Sue Cleaver
have drawn in opinions of other characters on the Street. Some of the latest
episodes involved scenes where Leslie (who thinks Amy is her Niece) takes Tracy‟s
daughter Amy, to the park leading to a few of the characters on Coronation Street
voicing their opinion as to what they think about Leslie after a frantic search for the
pair.
In January we saw the developing relationship between Paul and Eileen, with Leslie
being looked after by her husband Paul and Paul‟s faithful lover Eileen. We now join
the story where Paul and Leslie have moved into Eileen‟s house on number 11
Coronation Street, whilst their house if being renovated due to a flood.
Eileen has been caring for Leslie whilst Paul is out working all hours as a fireman
various scenes over the last few weeks have shown Eileen struggle to deal with the
sudden mood changes and erratic behaviour that Leslie shows from time to time.
In March the issues surrounding Alzheimer‟s and how other people perceive the
condition are dealt with in greater detail. We take a brief look at some of the scenes
that involve the story below.
The story begins with Paul asking Eileen over breakfast if she can look after Lesley
again so he can do a few jobs, but the day got off to a bad start for Eileen. An

2. angry Leslie refuses any sauce but brown, “I want Brown” Leslie screams, so Eileen
has to go to the shop to buy some. As Eileen is about to leave the house a now calm
Leslie turns and says “thank you”.
Whilst Eileen is away Leslie wanders into the back yard and we watch Leslie
and Tracy‟s daughter Amy talking as they blow bubbles, “the bubbles look better in
the park” Amy says to Leslie. Eileen returns to find the house empty, after looking for
her in the house she goes outside to find her when she bumps into Tracy who
couldn‟t find Amy either and it suddenly dawns on them that Lesley must have taken
Amy. After meeting Jason in the street a short while later Tracy says to him that her
daughter has gone off with „Loony Leslie‟
After informing Steve of both Amy and Lesley‟s disappearance a worried Steve goes
looking for Leslie and Amy in the park where he finds an angry Leslie having an
argument with the ice cream van man. “Sort her out mate, she‟s putting my
customers off” a tired ice cream seller tells Steve. “You shouldn‟t wander off without
letting a grown up know”, Steve tells Amy, “I was with Leslie” Amy replies, “Yes” Steve
says with a woeful look on his face.
Steve returns to the street with Amy and Lesley where an angry Tracy confronts
Eileen and Paul. After a heated debate between Paul and Tracy, Paul calls Tracy a
bully. “Why, cause I don‟t turn to mush every time you toss me a smile” Tracy replies,
“We‟ve all seen you, palming her off with anybody who will take her for an hour. She
should be in an institution.” “You know nothing” Paul relies. “Social services should
be told, she‟s a liability” answers Tracy. “You know nothing” again repeats an angry
Paul. “She was confused and she should never have been left on her own, 99% of the
time she‟s fine” he goes on to say. Tracy then finishes by saying to Eileen “I‟m
warning you Eileen, you get that woman off our street and into a home or I‟ll do it for
you.”
We finish the latest episodes with Paul begging Eileen not to chuck them out. “you‟re
not a trained carer, I should not have put you in that position”, Paul tells Eileen.
“This situation is too much for you, you have to step back and let the professionals
take over,” Eileen tells Paul.
What We Think?
From what we have seen and the way the story lines are playing out I think the
current producer (Phil Collinson) and writers of Coronation Street are right on the
money with the way Alzheimer‟s can affect a person. They are also showing the
reality of how carers might react and some of the everyday situations with how a
carer has to cope with a person who suffers from dementia. The show is also tackling
the prejudices people have when it comes to how they see a person with dementia.

3. Tracy‟s use of the words „loony‟ and „institution‟ show that the show understands that
many people still don‟t understand what it‟s like for carers and sufferers of
Alzheimer‟s and dementia. They seem to have it right in the way some people
might behave towards a person with dementia.
5 Responses to Coronation Street Storyline on Alzheimer’s. It’s Truth, Fact and Fiction
Time
vicky on April 2, 2012 at 6:45 pm
Soap operas may well give a realistic portrayal of later stage dementia, but what
concerns me is that they tend to skip the earlier stages altogether (such as with Mike
Baldwin a few years ago) and go straight to the most harrowing and difficult stage. It
gives people the impression that your life instantly falls apart the second you get a
dementia diagnosis, whereas the reality is you can still live well with dementia for a
good few years if you have the right support.
Mark L on April 4, 2012 at 11:57 am
This storyline is terrible. I dislike the introduction of the storyline in relation to a love
triangle. It would have been better had Eileen‟s mother been introduced (Say after a
fall at home) and over 6 months, it had become apparent that there was more wrong
than a simple fall.
The characters could come to terms with, and experience medical practitioners, in
real time. Rather than this rather seedy plot line.
On Monday 03 April (20:30), the characters visited a care home. The care home lady
told Paul (The husband of the person with Dementia) that he‟d be “haunted by the
person his wife used to be”. What? What an awful expression full of negative
connotations.
A classic case of Generic Dementia.
Glenda Young on April 4, 2012 at 11:58 am
I‟m editor of a Coronation Street fan website and also am living with a family
member with Alzheimer‟s Disease. I think Corrie has got the story spot on with the
symptoms and reactions from family members. But one thing that‟s very different in
my case is that the family member can go to day care, it doesn‟t have to be “all or
nothing” residential care and I think Corrie could have explored care and involvement

4. of Social Services much more than they have done. Otherwise, it‟s been a true and
very sad portrayal of a devestating disease.
John on April 4, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I agree with your comment about the fact that the writers are not really exploring all
the available channels for support and care that are available for leslie.
They do seem to have jumped, as you say, to an „all or nothing‟ when it comes to
care. It‟s a shame, the script doesn‟t recognise all the brilliant organisations that give
great suport to people with dementia that the show could have given credit to. They
just skip through to a care home being the right way to treat leslie‟s condition.
I assume it‟s due to the time constraints of the show.
Thanks for pointing that fact out
Monique ONeill on April 4, 2012 at 1:57 pm
We have to remember this is a tv show and on top of that a soap. It is suppose to be
overly dramatic and perhaps „unreal‟ in its portrayal of real life