Ruth Langsford has spoken out about her worries of memory loss, describing how ‘frightening’ it is for her to encounter mental blanks at random.
During Monday’s Loose Women, Ruth, Katie Piper, Janet Street-Porter, and Brenda Edwards discussed the concept that performing brain puzzles might be a beneficial workout for enhancing memory.
Janet stated that she does puzzles on a daily basis because of this, but Ruth stated that while she worries memory loss, she does not do puzzles on a regular basis, other than the odd crossword with her mother.
‘I do worry about memory loss because I’ve got Alzheimer’s in my family. So when I have those blank… you know those really awful moments where it’s a really good friend or one of you that I work with all the time,
and you go to introduce someone, and it’s like someone literally wiped my memory,’ she shared on the ITV programme.
‘That frightens me. I don’t even find it amusing,’ she added
The 62-year-old explained that if she were to simply put down an object and forget where it is, ‘that’s fine’.
She is concerned, though, when she forgets something she has known for years.
‘When I suddenly go, your pin number or something that you’ve had for years, gone – that scares me. It really frightens me,’ she said.
‘So maybe I should be doing more of the brain-training [puzzles]. I love crosswords and I do them with my mum, but I don’t do it on a regular basis.’
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Ruth participated in a memory walk for the Alzheimer’s Society as an ambassador in 2021.
Dennis, her late father, died in 2012 after being diagnosed with dementia, after being cared for by her mother for more than a decade.
In a statement released at the time, Ruth said: ‘I’m walking in loving memory of my dad, who I miss every day. I am lucky enough to have taken part in several Memory Walks, and they are always a wonderful way to celebrate and remember a loved one who had dementia.
‘Money raised will help Alzheimer’s Society reach and support more people through their vital services, like their support line, which have been a lifeline for thousands of people.’
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV.