England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chair Richard Thompson has shared a deeply personal account of his parents' struggles with dementia, recounting a poignant moment where his father's illness first became starkly apparent. Thompson was watching an Ashes Test match at The Oval with his father, Eric, in 2013 when his father mistook the international cricket game for a local Surrey match, commenting on the crowd size.
"God, look at this," Eric said to his son. "It's amazing how Surrey can get the crowds these days." Thompson, then in charge at Surrey, was taken aback, explaining, "Dad, it's a Test match against Australia. This isn't Surrey, Dad. This is England."
This realization, as Thompson described, "hit me like a train." His father's condition continued to decline, leading to a fall that injured his shoulder, followed by a stroke. Eric Thompson passed away in 2017.
Thompson's mother, Barbara, bore a significant portion of the caregiving burden for her husband of 50 years. She cared for Eric at home until near the end of his life, which Thompson stated took a toll on her own health. He described Barbara as succumbing to what he calls "carer's dementia," where the intense focus on caring for a loved one can lead to a decline in the carer's own cognitive stimulation.
Barbara Thompson passed away in August at the age of 93. Thompson and his sister, Suzanne, learned to adapt their caregiving strategies. They used family photo albums to keep their mother engaged and stimulated, understanding that "nothing could tell a story more than a picture." Thompson emphasized the need for patience, noting that they sometimes had to answer the same question multiple times within a short period. "You learn the hard way," he said, "You start to understand that dementia can manifest itself in lots of ways, and try so hard not to get angry."
In 2020, Thompson founded Sport United Against Dementia, an initiative that has since raised significant funds for the Alzheimer's Society. The organization aims to provide six-week courses across the UK for individuals caring for people with dementia. Thompson also recently organized a fundraising event, walking 100 laps of Lord's Cricket Ground, which raised over £400,000.
Thompson is a vocal advocate for early diagnosis of dementia, noting a societal reluctance to seek answers. "There is a saying that if you think you've got dementia, you don't want to know. If you think you've got cancer, you do. As a country, we're appalling at this," he stated. He credits his father's early diagnosis with allowing him to receive medication that slowed the progression of Alzheimer's and improved his quality of life, while also providing crucial time to arrange legal and practical matters.
Now 60, Thompson is keenly aware of the genetic and lifestyle factors associated with dementia. He is proactively maintaining his physical and mental health through weight loss, a healthier diet, crosswords, table tennis, and plans to learn Spanish and the piano to keep his cognition sharp. "I don't want to get it," he said. "I might have the test, but I'm doing everything from a lifestyle perspective to ensure I don't get it."
Thompson fondly remembers his parents' lives outside of their illness. His father, Eric, was a keen cricketer who scored thousands of runs and had a career in advertising. His mother, Barbara, worked for C&A and crafted artisan lampshades. Thompson expressed that their parents made Christmas special and that he hopes future generations will not have to endure the same challenges posed by Alzheimer's disease.