How to confront a parent's dementia

2022年09月29日

サイエンスライターのスーネルソンが父親が認知症であることを発見したとき、彼女の世界は崩壊しました。しかし、新しい研究により、影響を受けた人々をサポートする方法が明らかになりました。(English) When science writer Sue Nelson discovered that her father had dementia, her world crashed. But new research reveals ways to support those affected.

How to confront a parent's dementia

Dementia is a destroyer of the world.

It erodes, alters, and steals memories. It causes loss of concentration, confusion, and mood changes.

If the loved one with dementia is your mother or father, it also rewires and reverses one of the most critical connections in our lives.

My new parent-child bond began on Christmas Day, 2019.

My then 87-year-old father had been admitted 24 hours earlier, ill, confused.

Tests revealed a cause that mystified us all: an overdose of painkillers.

I was even more surprised by the doctor's next revelation:

"How long has your father had dementia?"

"As far as I'm aware," I replied, "he hasn't got dementia."

Around 57 million people worldwide have dementia.

That number is expected to triple to 153 million cases in 2050.

Dementia also affects disproportionately more women than men.

There are over 200 different types of dementia.

However, memory loss is the first dementia symptom that people and their loved ones usually notice.

It is caused by brain damage because when our brain cells stop working correctly, it affects our thoughts, memory, and communication ability.

The underlying diseases are currently incurable.

A diagnosis of dementia is given not just to one person.

It is given to a spouse, a partner, a child, the extended family, and friends, so it impacts the whole family. Every time a diagnosis is made, it is life-changing for several people.

For those caring for people with dementia, memory loss can turn everyday life into a never-ending series of mysteries to be solved.

In my father's case, there was the puzzle of why he had ingested an overdose of painkillers.

It turned out that he had broken his foot slipping off a curb several weeks earlier.

It is easy to dismiss some signs of dementia as age-related 'senior moments.

Dad had always been forgetful and absent-minded.

But he read the Times newspaper daily and was an avid watcher of TV news. He loved discussing politics and traveled everywhere by bus or train.

Sure, the family heard the same stories increasingly on repeat.

Ignoring early signs has become a significant public health problem worldwide since dementia is underdiagnosed.

So only 38% of global cases are being diagnosed.

Diagnosis rates are lowest in poorer countries.

Unequal access to healthcare is one big reason for this.

National dementia strategies have made early diagnosis a priority.

For my family, the warning signs should have started flashing when Dad wrongly insisted that a relative had removed all the money from his bank account.

Experts believe knowing the complex interplay of feelings such as guilt, denial, grief, rivalry, and fear in families ravaged by dementia could help both patients and their relatives.

Fortunately, Dad had already entrusted me with the ability to manage his affairs on his behalf via a solicitor.

It meant rewriting the parent-child relationship yet again. I was effectively his guardian. I had become my father's parent.

First, my father entered a short-stay care home to assess his needs fully. It was March 2020. Two days later, the UK announced its first lockdown.

Dad contracted the disease in his care home and, amazingly, shook it off within days. A social man, he could no longer see family or friends in person under a lockdown or when there were Covid outbreaks or restrictions at home.

Last year, a private company, Richmond Villages, used the Dutch model to set up its first 'dementia village in the UK.

Families came in and discovered their relatives baking and gardening again. We're also finding we can care for them better, as they're content and more settled.

IN BRIEF: HOW DO YOU TELL IF SOMEONE HAS DEMENTIA?

Dementia is a set of symptoms caused by different diseases, such as Alzheimer's, which hits women harder than men. The symptoms can vary, including mood swings, personality changes, confusion, a lack of focus, and memory loss.

It is essential because even though there is currently no cure, early diagnosis has been shown to have several benefits, such as allowing people to create a safe and supportive environment and plan for care.

A new observational study by Chinese researchers found a link between more time spent on household chores, exercise, and social visits and a reduced risk of dementia.

So far, Dad continues to recognize me, and although his words emerge slowly, I am aware that one day, my face will become that of a stranger.

Walking towards his room, I suggested playing one of his opera or classical music CDs. "Anything," he replied with a smirk, "as long as it's not. We'll Meet Again."

For a beautiful moment, the Dad I'd once known had returned, and I was just his daughter once more.

Ref)

Postscript:

Around 57 million people worldwide have dementia.

That number is expected to triple to 153 million cases in 2050.

Dementia also affects disproportionately more women than men.

There are over 200 different types of dementia.

However, memory loss is the first dementia symptom that people and their loved ones usually notice.

It is caused by brain damage because when our brain cells stop working correctly, it affects our thoughts, memory, and communication ability.

The underlying diseases are currently incurable.

It is given to a spouse, a partner, a child, the extended family, and friends, so it impacts the whole family. Every time a diagnosis is made, it is life-changing for several people.

A new observational study by Chinese researchers found a link between more time spent on household chores, exercise, and social visits and a reduced risk of dementia.

***

We need to know the difference between "forgetfulness due to aging" and "forgetfulness due to dementia."

Experience:

Aging: Forgetting some things Example) Breakfast menu

Dementia: Forgetting everything Ex) Having breakfast itself

Forgetful Awareness:

Aging: yes

Dementia: no

For what you're looking for:

Aging: try to find out (by themselves)

Dementia: May blame others for things such as someone stealing

Disruption to daily life:

Aging: no

Dementia: yes

Symptom progression:

Aging: progresses very slowly

Dementia: Progressive

***

We appear to be able to prevent or be prepared for dementia through essential diet, exercise, and routine household chores.

Above all, it is essential to realize that by regularly taking care of our mental and physical health, we can prolong our healthy lives.

Let us have a moment to realize that we are grateful every day, and it is unbelievably happy.

Ref-2)

Music to cure what ails you

In an article about the benefits of music on human health:

"Music does something beyond our understanding. We can call it an endorphin release or a distraction, but it goes much deeper. Somehow music does us good. And the good it does was just proven to be better."

He speaks of a finding from researchers in Taiwan, who recently reviewed over 360 published studies on music therapy and concluded the data from these studies suggest cancer patients who routinely listen to music exhibit significantly fewer symptoms of depression, pain, fatigue, and anxiety.

Though he barely recognizes his daughter and rarely answers questions asked of him, during and shortly after he listens to music, he "comes to life, eyes wide open, talking of how much music means to him," says Prof. Huckabee.

The video below shows the miraculous transformation Henry goes through after being affected by his favorite music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZQf0p73QM&t=311s