My husband asked me what the focus of this column was going to be – he’s aware that he often provides much fodder.

My delightfully eccentric mother is another great source of real-life events and very often include my brother’s wayward basset hound Mr Smith. But my family are not the focus this week, instead every family across Oxfordshire with an elderly relative is in the spotlight.

Dementia is something that touches us all, everyone will have some experience of knowing someone affected by it or will have direct contact of it within their family.

It’s a subject that I want to tackle on my afternoon show next week: to highlight the growing problem but also to highlight the responsibility that we all have as a community in not only helping people living with dementia and those that care for them but to also try to combat the growing problem of the social exclusion that many of our elderly feel day in, day out.

It upsets me that anyone should feel so alone; that some people only have their radio or television for company.

Oxfordshire’s rural community council has been tackling the issue head-on over the past 18 months, providing help for communities to understand how they can get involved with simply paying someone a visit for a chat or doing some shopping. It’s important that we embrace the work that they are trying to do.

I asked Esther Rantzen whether she would like to take part in our series on dementia. She had no hesitation in saying yes. Having been a pioneer for children's services since starting Childline in 1985, for the past few years she has been devoting her time to setting up the helpline for our lonely elderly generation called Silverline.

Esther has felt loneliness herself following the death of her husband Desmond Wilcox 13 year ago. Her transparency and honesty in talking about it is truly admirable. She invited me to her flat in London to tell me how she had suffered from loneliness and to highlight how it can be a major factor in the onset of dementia.

She said the view from her fourth floor two-bed Hampstead flat sold it to her but still returning home to an empty place to watch television or eat another meal alone was extremely difficult.

I could understand how she could feel so cut off, however dramatic a view over London it was: it wasn’t physical contact, it wasn’t a chat and it certainly couldn’t fill the void of a hug.

Despite her long list of social engagements and the heavy demands on her time, Esther Rantzen, the much-loved and respected television star was telling me how alone she had felt. It’s not always that people are physically alone but just that they feel alone.

Esther spoke of those who look after their loved ones suffering from dementia, they feel that emptiness. The problem of dementia is growing as we are living longer and we all have a responsibility in tackling it.

It all starts with awareness. I hope to highlight that next week along with Esther’s involvement and some incredible stories from those who live with dementia every day.