World Alzheimer’s Day ( 2015 September 21) Article in The Hindu Trichy

TIRUCHI, September 21, 2015 The Hindu

“Keep the brain active”


Nahla Nainar



Alzheimer’s disease affects not just the individual but family members also



Greater acceptance of those living with age-related dementia and learning to spot the signs of memory loss are among the goals of this year’s World Alzheimer’s Day (September 21), which is themed around the slogan ‘Remember Me.’

The most common type of dementia reported among people over the age of 60 years, Alzheimer’s disease affects not just the individual, but also family members who become caregivers and have the unenviable task of watching the slow decline of their loved one.

The UK-based advocacy group Alzheimer’s Disease International has reported this year that with its tally of 4.1 million, India is the third among the top 10 countries (behind China and United States) with over a million people living with dementia. According to a 2010 study by Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India, nearly 20,000 to 40,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with dementia in Tamil Nadu in the next 20 years.

“Many people refuse to acknowledge a diagnosis of mental illness,” M. A. Aleem, neurologist and epileptologist told The Hindu. “As our life expectancy improves due to the advances in technology and lifestyle, we will definitely be seeing an increase in the elderly population. So it is better to learn how to deal with the health problems common to this age group.”

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but its symptoms, such as memory loss can be managed with medication. Drugs that curb the breakdown of the acetylcholine chemical in the brain, which is crucial for memory and learning, are usually prescribed to manage the disease.

“It is possible for senior citizens to reduce the chance of getting the disease by avoiding brain injury, and controlling lifestyle ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure with regular medication,” said Dr. Aleem. “Keeping the brain active, with word games and puzzles; regular physical exercise is also important as you grow older,” he added.

Role reversal

For the past six years, Arun*, a resident of B. Mettur who works as a secondary school teacher in the city, has watched his septuagenarian father’s life change dramatically ever since the senior citizen slipped and hurt his head after his customary dip in the village river.

“We didn’t realise it was serious until a year later,” said Arun over the phone. “He would get fits, and we’d control it with an injection from the local doctor or give him an iron object to hold as is the practice.”

As his father began to show signs of memory loss, he became incontinent and aggressive. “It was terribly embarrassing for all of us, and at times, he would start crying at what he had become,” said Arun.

The family did the rounds of several doctors until a Tiruchi-based neurologist diagnosed vascular dementia as the root cause of the sudden behaviour change.

“My father would not be able to recognise me as recently as two years ago,” said Arun. “Today, he can spot the four generations of students he had taught at the village school because he is taking seven tablets to manage his disease. There were days when I lost all hope because my father initially refused to accept that something was wrong with him. I’m happy today that he is not suffering anymore.”

Compassion fatigue

The care of dementia patients usually becomes the responsibility of family members, mainly due to cost constraints, especially in close-knit societies.

However, care giving is a stressful experience, especially when the effort of the caregiver is neither acknowledged nor appreciated.

A study by Bishop Heber College Social Work research scholar G.S. Sangeeth and assistant professor M. Daniel Solomon on the psycho-social problems faced by those caring for dementia patients (published in ‘Indian Journal of Applied Research’, May 2014) states that caregivers suffer from body fatigue and anxiety, besides having to deal with inter-personal conflicts within the family.

“A balance between caring effort and caring capacity is critical for the future sustainability of informal care,” said Dr. Solomon.

*Name changed on request