It was a bright sunny Sunday morning. I was busy reading one of my favorite novels “Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee” when my grandmother came running to me with a furious face and asked “Why aren’t you ready for college? I smiled at her and told them to at least spare me on Sunday. I only get one day off the week when I can sit and read a book of my own choice rather than reading the course book prescribed in my curriculum. To which she replied“ Why are you fooling me? I know it is not Sunday. Get up and get ready.” Her confidence in proving me wrong amazed me and I thought a woman like my grandmother who remembers even the tiniest thing in the world was confused between the days, but as the days passed by, I completely forgot about the incident.
After a few days, she again came running to my father asking him to dial the number of her brother who lives in a different city. My father asked my grandmother why suddenly she wanted to speak to her brother. Everything is alright, to which she replied that today is Raksha Bandhan (an Indian festival that celebrates the
beautiful bond between brother and sister). I can speak to my brother at least today. My father was confused. Even more. He said that Raksha Bandhan was not today, it was not even nearing. Such incidents make us think about the whole situation again and again. But as we know, often we take such incidents as a case of weakened memory due to age and do not pay much heed to it being a serious medical problem.
The situation got appalling when, during the nighttime of the chilly winter night my grandmother was found in the bathroom taking a shower from cold water. My grandfather rushed to wake my parents and me to check on her. When we knocked on the door to call her, she came out shivering yet yelling at all of us for not letting her shower in peace. We quickly wrapped her in warm clothes, switched on the heater, and gave her warm milk. Later, when she became a little normal, we asked her why she was taking a shower at that hour with cold water, to which she replied that all people take showers in the morning, so was it then what is the problem if she chose to do the same? Her reply perturbed all of us, and we realized that something was not right with her.
The next morning, my father and I decided to take her to the NeuroPhysician, who told us that the neuropsychiatry that my grandmother was suffering from was Stage 3 Dementia disease. Now you all must be wondering what dementia is. This is exactly what I also thought of. So, first let us know what it is, its symptoms, and treatment.
What is dementia?
Dementia refers to the decline in mental abilities, including thinking, recalling, and logical reasoning, to the point where it disrupts a person’s everyday life and tasks.
Symptoms of Dementia
- Memory Loss
- Confusion
- Hallucination
- Impulsive Behavior
- Repeating Questions
- Treating non-living objects as living objects
- Fussiness
- Difficulty in doing day-to-day activities
Tips and Suggestions on how to handle Dementia Patient
For numerous households, looking after someone with dementia involves the collective effort of several individuals who divide and share duties. Regardless of your role as a caregiver, looking after someone else can feel daunting at various points. These advice and recommendations might assist in managing daily care and chores.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
PRACTICAL TIPS
- Set up a routine for them, such as bathing, dressing, and eating.
- Allow them to do things on their own if they wish to do so just be there to help them.
- Buy loose-fitting comfortable clothes such as nightgowns that have front zippers or openings so that they can easily be changed when needed.
- Provide them with a sturdy yet comfortable chair for showering or otherwise sitting to prevent them from falling.
- Serve meals with the normal temperature that is neither too hot nor too cold as patients with Dementia sometimes tend to lose their sensory power so they may burn their tongue if the food is too hot or may catch cold if the food is too cold.
- Do not try to multitask with such patients as that may create confusion in their minds. Like giving them food to eat along with combing their hair
- Medication should be strictly according to the dosage provided by the professional doctor. Do not try to experiment with any medicine for them.
EMOTIONAL TIPS
- Be Gentle and Respectful towards them.
- Do not argue with them to prove your point.
- Listen to their stories even if most of them are made up and you have heard them numerous times.
- Engage them with fun activities of their choice.
- Create a happy and positive environment around them.
- Whenever a new familiar face comes in contact with such a patient then in such a situation let the patient recall the face failing to do so do not pressurize them.
- Do not play the ‘Do you recognize me’ game with them because this will overwhelm them and as a result, they may even react aggressively.
- Make food of their choice. Let them recall what they like if they fail to do so and provide them with options that they may like.
- Do not get angry with them when they do not listen to you. Be gentle
- Most importantly, spend as much time as you can. Love them.
Photo by Matthias Zomer.
HEALTHY AND LIFESTYLE TIPS
- Give them healthy yet nutritious food.
- Food should be freshly made.
- Engage to go for a brisk walk with them. If they find it difficult to walk you can
help them with a walker or else a wheelchair.
- Let them spend some time with nature.
- Do not always ask them whether they are hungry or not because sometimes they tend to eat a meal twice in a short period. So keep a check on their portions and time of meal.
SAFETY TIPS
- Do not keep electricity wires with current open and lose
- Keep the dementia patients away from any heated appliance such as a hot iron or hot cooking pan even the gas stove
- Insert safety plugs into unused electrical outlets and consider safety latches on cabinet doors
- Remove any slippery rugs or carpets in the house which may cause any mishap
- Keep any sharp dangerous objects away from such patient’s reach
LOVE AS THE BEST MEDICINE
My Grandmother battled with dementia for almost 3 years and lost her battle to life 2 years back. While choosing to write this article my idea was to dedicate it to my grandmother who I have such fond memories of but also to help the caregivers who provide help to Dementia patients with my own experience which helped us deal with her in a better way.
On this journey of my grandmother dealing with dementia, we realized that no medicine or professional help could treat her if not combined with the love given by her family. We utterly made sure to celebrate every moment of her life with us like a festival. There were days when she didn’t even recognize most things but definitely, she could feel the love and care we were embracing her with. So if you have any of your loved ones, or anyone you know of who has similar symptoms like those mentioned above in the article then take help from a professional.
Consult a specialist doctor and follow the medication provided by them. Last but not least there have been multiple studies going on to find out the actual reason for Dementia and Alzheimer’s but no solid reason has been discovered till date it can happen to anyone irrespective of age and sex so do not forget to be empathetic towards the patient dealing with such ailment.