{
  "id": 16501715,
  "title": "On dementia, we need to tell it how it is | Letter",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/on-dementia-we-need-to-tell-it-how-it-is-letter",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-25T17:12:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Health",
    "slug": "guardian-health",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/25/on-dementia-we-need-to-tell-it-how-it-is"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a recent letter, Sally Byers took Polly Toynbee to task for employing language that Byers deems \"deeply troubling\" in her article about her experiences in Liverpool with Louise Casey's social care challenges. One of the phrases that drew Byers' attention was Toynbee's use of \"glazed stares or sleeping mouths agape\" and \"that terrible human vacancy\". To address this issue, Byers referred to the Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project's language guide for journalists, which lists words and descriptions to avoid. One example is \"dementia sufferer\", with suggested alternatives being \"person/people with dementia\", \"person/people living with dementia\", or \"person/people living well with dementia\". However, Lee argues that Toynbee accurately described her observations and that her words had a significant impact. Lee contends that in the care homes he has visited, the individuals with dementia were not \"living well with dementia\" but were, in fact, suffering. Therefore, Lee asks, why is it not acceptable to tell it like it is instead of trying to mask the reality?",
  "summary": "David Lee responds to a letter questioning the use of language about people with dementia Sally Byers takes Polly Toynbee to task ( Letters, 19 October ) for using what she considers to be “deeply troubling language” about people with dementia, in particular the phrases “glazed stares or sleeping mouths agape” and “that terrible human vacancy” in Toynbee’s article ( In Liverpool I saw the tough…",
  "key_points": [
    "Sally Byers critiques Polly Toynbee's language in her letter.",
    "Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project provides language guide for journalists.",
    "Lee defends Toynbee's descriptions as accurate portrayal of dementia sufferers."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}