Patients with dementia and their caregivers listened to an informative talk concerning the syndrome and how to manage it at Livewell Village, a specialised dementia care facility in Bryanston, on 27 February.
Clinical psychologist Stephanie MacIlwaine explained that dementia is a syndrome which affects memory, thinking, behaviour, personality and the ability to perform daily activities.
She said that dementia can have a number of different causes, with Alzheimer’s being the most common. Between 70 and 90 per cent of people with dementia experience behavioural and psychological symptoms during the course of their illness. Some of these include depression, psychosis and anxiety. Approximately 50 million people suffer from dementia worldwide, 2.2 million of whom were in South Africa in 2011.
Each person with dementia presents differently and diagnosis is usually a process including a number of different medical professions. “When you receive a diagnosis, you may experience feelings of fear, sadness, relief, anxiety depression, hopelessness and uncertainty. These are normal feelings,” said MacIlwaine.
She encouraged patients with dementia, “You are still you, even if you have memory problems or concentration problems, etc. Focus on what you can still do and enjoy it. You still have an important function to play within your family or community.”
She said that it is important for people with dementia to feel accepted by family, have activities to perform and live in a safe, predictable environment. “People with dementia should remain socially active since this stimulates the brain.”
MacIlWaine said that 40 per cent of caregivers experience their own depression. She encouraged caregivers to seek their own support, have a separate space to talk about their feelings without fear of hurting their loved one and gain knowledge about the syndrome. She also encouraged caregivers to join support groups in person or online to talk about experiences and allay fears.
“People with dementia are not completely helpless. Involve the person with dementia in future plans for their care, set up an environment for their success, emphasise their remaining strengths and use memory tools,” MacIlwaine concluded.
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