Barbara Gillam has been married to her husband Ted for almost 56 years, after meeting in a Brighton dance hall in 1946.

Mrs Gillam was swept off her feet by the Navy Petty Officer and the two of them enjoyed a happy and fulfilling life for the next 45 years.

After leaving the Navy, Mr Gillam worked as a fisherman on trawlers along the Sussex Coast.

In the Eighties, the couple moved into a new flat in Brighton and looked forward to a long and happy retirement together.

In the early Nineties Mrs Gillam started to notice something was wrong.

She said: "It was very gradual. It was just small, silly things at first. He would start to forget things and become easily distracted.

"He had always had a good memory but now he was starting to put things down and then wonder where they had gone. He was also starting to forget bus times.

"He always used to repair the nets for the fishermen and could almost do them blindfold. But now he would sit and look at them and wasn't sure any more if he had done them right."

Mr Gillam continued to gradually get more confused and distracted and the couple's eldest daughter suggested her father should see his GP.

Mr Gillam, now 87, was referred to a hospital consultant and, in February 1992, was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease.

Mrs Gillam, 77, said: "When they told me, I had no idea what it was or what it would mean but when I did realise how serious it was it gave me a shock."

As the years progressed, Mr Gillam's condition continued to deteriorate, leaving him in an almost constant state of confusion.

Today, after 17 years in the flat, he no longer knows the address and doesn't understand he lives there.

When he goes to his day centre, Mr Gillam thinks he is going down to the harbour to sail off in a boat.

When he comes back it takes a lot of effort to persuade him to get in the lift at his block of flats and go into his home.

Mrs Gillam said: "Every time he comes back he can't settle. He paces up and down and asks what he is doing here."

There are occasional flashes of the old Mr Gillam but these are becoming rarer.

Mrs Gillam said: "He doesn't know my name any more but he does seem to know my face."

Mr Gillam will occasionally show some affection towards his wife but only for a moment.

His personality has also changed. He used to be very easy-going but is now more stubborn.

Mrs Gillam helps Mr Gillam get up in the morning, get washed and dressed and have his breakfast.

She has to physically manoeuvre him into position which, because Mr Gillam weighs 17st, can be exhausting. Her evenings are long as Mr Gillam is usually in bed by 7.30pm but she can't watch television because she is worried the sound might drown out any noises he makes.

It is obviously difficult for Mrs Gillam to socialise like she used to but she does get some time to herself. Mr Gillam spends six days a week at the day centre at Ireland Lodge in Brighton, run by Brighton and Hove City Council.

He also spends one week in every month in respite care there.

However, there are times when Mrs Gillam stops to think about how things used to be.

She said: "He was a loving, gentle man and very popular. It is sad to see what has happened to him.

"Of course at times you get frustrated and there are times when I'll sit and cry but you can't let things get you down. I will support and love my husband for as long as I can. He deserves it."

Mrs Gillam gets a lot of help from her family and the Brighton and Hove branch of the Alzheimer's Society.

She said: "There are people around who can help. There is no need to be on your own. I wouldn't be able to cope without that extra support.

"I found it very difficult at first to let others step in and help with his care. I felt it was my job and I didn't want to impose. But it does eventually get to the point where you need support and the people who provide it are wonderful."

On the one day of the week Mr Gillam is at home all day, a support worker from the Alzheimer's Society will go in to help.

The charity has been in the city for 16 years and is continuing to grow. It supports carers by providing practical and emotional help and advice as well as organising outings and holidays.

Branch and development manager Neil McArthur said: "What we want to tell people is that they do not have to struggle on alone.

"We can help them. Our job is to think about the needs of both the patient and the carer.

"We would ask anyone who thinks a person is developing signs of the condition to see their GP at once.

"There are drugs around now which can help to slow the development of the disease and the earlier the diagnosis, the earlier people can start to take them."

The charity has a helpline for carers seven days a week, from 9am to 11pm.

The charity is always on the look out for new members and will spend this week's Alzheimer's Awareness Week, which runs until Saturday, helping to raise the profile of its work.

The helpline number is 01273 726266.