World Alzheimer’s Day 2020-‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’

Ludhiana: “We need to raise awareness about dementia, understand its impact on people’s daily lives, challenge the stigma of dementia and the strategies to help people live comfortably with dementia. The message is that although your loved one may not remember you or might do things that frustrates you, but this is the time when he or she needs you the most”, says Prof (Dr) Rupesh Chaudhary, Department of Psychiatry, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana.
 
Early stages of Alzheimer might just seem as an age-related memory loss, thus it is often missed and ignored by the family members. Dr Chaudhary added, “our Psychiatry OPD at DMC&H sees lot of patients with dementia in late stages where behaviour of the patient becomes troublesome for the family”.
 
Dr Chaudhary also mentions about the Early Warning Signs of development of Dementia as:
•        Memory problems
•        Confusion with time and location
•        Asking repetitive questions
•        Forgetting names of friends or family members
•        Forgetting the way to familiar places or own house
•        Forgetting names of everyday objects
•        Misplacing items like keys / spectacles / medicines
•        Trouble with familiar tasks
•        Difficulty preparing meals/ driving car
•        Mood changes
•        Anxiety or frustration due to memory problems
•        Fear of new environment or people
•        Social withdrawal from family and friends
•        Impaired judgement
•        Difficulty handling money issues
•        Difficulty making decisions
•        Difficulty in solving everyday problems
•        Difficulty communicating with people
•        Trouble finding words while speaking
•        Forgetting common words
 
Dr Pankaj Kumar, Associate Professor, department of Psychiatry, DMC&H, Ludhiana, further highlights some of the Do’s and Dont’s for the carers of people with dementia:
 
DO’s:
•        Treat the person as an adult
•        Be sensitive to his environment- calm, quiet, comfortable
•        Keep the environment constant around the person
•        Help person to remain as independent as possible
•        Give simple instructions- one at a time to avoid confusion
•        Keep communication short, simple and clear
•        Speak slowly to the person in normal tone
•        Use repetition as much as necessary
•        Establish familiar routine
•        Help the person remember his past memories
•        Encourage the person
•        Express affection and love
•        Be patient
 
DONT’s:
•        Don’t speak to the person as if he/she is a child
•        Don’t scold the person
•        Don’t startle the person from behind
•        Don’t introduce new, unfamiliar objects in his environment
•        Don’t put the person in crowds / noisy places
•        Don’t argue with the person
•        Don’t talk in paragraphs
•        Don’t use unfamiliar words
•        Don’t point out his memory problems
•        Don’t be frustrated that the person is not able to help himself
•        Don’t blame him for not doing the things in right manner
•        Don’t overmedicate the person with sleeping pills
•        Don’t place any medicines / sharp objects in his reach
•        Don’t give up on the person
 
 
“Having a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, meditating, having a good night’s sleep, increasing social interactions, engaging in brain storming games and activities like chess, sudoku etc., limiting intake of alcohol and smoking, avoiding excessive stress, keeping BP and blood sugar under control are some of the ways to prevent dementia among people”, he added.