THE HINDU carries a feature "Living With Alzheimer's" by Pankaja Srinivasan, emphasising that right intervention and care can make a difference to those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease
CHENNAI (The Hindu), September 20, 2007:
Alzheimer's Disease does not discriminate between rich and poor, engineer and doctor, teacher and head of state. Says Dr. K. Jacob Roy, National Chairman, Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI): "The only known risk factor is age. As a person grows older, he is at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s. After 60, the risk is one in 20, but after 80 it is one in five."
Right intervention and care can make a difference to those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease.
The national administrative office of ARDSI is located at Kunnamkulam in Kerala and it has chapters in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangaluru, Chennai, Goa, and in five places in Kerala.
Families and communities need to be sensitised to the problems of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s
Lakshmikutty Amma laughs a lot. She cries a lot too. She asks for her parents repeatedly, and thinks Rajeshwari A. is her chechi (sister). She needs constant care, is confused, and remembers little. She has no idea that her parents are long dead and her chechi is, in fact, her daughter. Lakshmikutty is 72 and has Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
When Krishnaswamy wouldn’t respond when his family addressed him or stared blankly, they thought it was because he was going deaf. But, gradually they noticed changes they couldn’t ignore. Spells of lucidity were followed by complete withdrawal when he would recognise no one, respond to nothing or talk non-stop drivel for hours on end. Krishnaswamy was 70 when AD affected him.
Coming home from work, Manavalan lost his way. When a frantic search party found him, he was 12 km off course. Manavalan is 83 and an AD patient.
Does not discriminate
AD does not discriminate between rich and poor, engineer and doctor, teacher and head of state. Says K. Jacob Roy, National Chairman, Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI): “The only known risk factor is age. As a person grows older, he is at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s. After 60, the risk is one in 20, but after 80 it is one in five.” No one knows why it happens, but it occurs when cells in the brain start dying. It is degenerative and leads to progressive mental deterioration.
How does one know if a family member is afflicted? There are warning signs.
* Difficulty in doing familiar tasks: inability to perform simple, tasks such as unlocking a door or making tea.
* Slipping job performance: forgetting appointments or meetings.
* Language difficulties: difficulty with words and in naming objects such as pen or spectacles.
* Confusion of place and time: difficulty in remembering the time of day, or even recognising their neighbourhood.
* Lack of judgment: touching a hot object, being insensible to traffic while crossing the road and wearing clothes inside out.
* Problem with abstract thinking: balancing cheque books and calculating the correct change.
* Misplacing objects: losing keys, money and keeping objects in inappropriate places.
* Mood fluctuations: swinging from happiness to severe depression in no time.
* Changes in personality: a characteristically quiet person, becoming garrulous or vice versa. Getting suspicious, fearful, withdrawn and acting completely out of character.
* Lack of initiative: becoming passive and needing constant prompting.
Often, these are dismissed as normal signs of aging. “But, when these start interfering with day-to-day functioning, and familiar activities become increasingly difficult for the person, it is time to seek help,” says K. Selvaraj, Professor of Psychiatry and Consultant Psychiatrist, Vazhikaati Mental Health Centre and Research Institute. And, the best person to approach is a neurologist or psychiatrist, or a geriatrician who has a special interest in dementia.
Dr. Roy says the right intervention and care can make a difference. Take Sethumadhavan, a former aeronautical engineer who is in his mid-60s.
"When I first met him, he didn’t know where he was, couldn’t recognise people around him and needed help for his daily needs. Now, after intervention at our respite care centre, he is cheerful, identifies people and participates in various activities. He recognises me as a doctor, even when I am without a stethoscope."
Dr. Roy says judicious use of medicines, a stimulating environment and a caring support group can make a huge difference. “Drugs can reduce the suffering, even if they don’t completely cure a patient. They can modify behaviour and enhance cognition,” adds Dr. Selvaraj.
In a report, Mathew Varghese MD, Professor of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, says mental disorders in the elderly in India are a major public health issue for four major reasons — They occur in an increasing population of elders what with the number of people suffering from mental disorders rising rapidly; poor public awareness of these disorders; rapidly changing traditional family and social support systems; and few health services that are geared to cater for the special needs of the elders in India.
Indrani Rajadurai, Director, Southern Region, HelpAge India, says the voluntary organisation is going all out to increase awareness on AD.
“We conduct Alzheimer’s Awareness camps and through voluntary organisations, support training programmes where family members and communities are taught about caring for AD patients.”
HELP AT HAND
The Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) is dedicated to the care, support and research of dementia. It has chapters all over India. For more information on AD, visit www.alzheimer-india.org
By Pankaja Srinivasan
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