'His death was a kindness': Author Nicci Gerrard on what she learned from her father's dementia

Point of View is an ITV News series where we invite people to share their life experiences and what they've learned from them.

Nicci Gerrard is an author who writes bestselling novels with her husband under the name Nicci French.

She cared for her father John for over a decade as he made "a very slow slide into the darkness" that is dementia. More than 850,000 people are affected by the condition in the UK.

From witnessing his struggle with paranoia and memory loss firsthand, Nicci told ITV News how nearly five years after his death she's learning more about the disease.

Eventually, John was admitted to hospital to treat leg ulcers, leaving him isolated from the family who had dedicated years to looking after him.

In response to the access rules put in place when her father was ill, Nicci started a campaign in his name.

'John's Campaign' successfully fought for families to have the right to accompany people in care.

In her latest book 'What Dementia Teaches Us About Love' she shares her experience as the daughter of someone with dementia and explores the stories of others living with the illness.

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