A seminar at the Synagogue on Coping with Dementia may not sound the most inviting activity for a sunny Sunday afternoon in June,but it was well attended by over 40 NWSS members,carers and professionals, with many notable contributions from the audience which included representatives of the Haselmere branch of the Alzheimer's Society.
Rabbi Jackie Tabick chaired this interactive session and the two lead speakers were Dr Claire Hilton., consultant psychiatrist in the mental health service in Harrow and Dr Nori Graham,former chairman of the Alzheimers Society and mental health advisor to Nightingale House.
There has been an explosion in awareness of dementia over the last decade as this condition is becoming more widespread as we live longer.The two most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer's and vascular dementia caused by either a major or minor stroke. There are also many milder forms.
The most noticeable symptoms at the outset are memory loss and personality change.This may be followed over a period of time with difficulty in fulfilling everyday functions such as getting dressed and making repetitive remarks. To persuade a sufferer to go to the doctor for an initial diagnosis is not always easy and may necessitate a pretext such as testing blood pressure. The doctor will then refer the patient to a specialist mental health unit for evaluation.
A few statistics illustrate the scale of the problem:two thirds of dementia sufferers are women; one in 20 aged between 65 and 80 and one in five aged over 80 suffer from some form of dementia.One in three will end their lives with some form of dementia; four out of five care home residents have dementia.Two thirds of people with dementia live in the community with family carers.
Dementia has an enormous impact ,physically and financially,on everyone affected by what is currently an incurable condition. Some drugs can hold back the progression of the illness. Apart from the sufferer families, friends and carers are all affected and their lives are completely changed. The philosophy today is that it is preferable and cheaper to keep patients with dementia in their home environment as long as the carer can cope and the sufferer,if living alone, is not a danger to himself/herself by,for example,forgetting to turn off the gas,falling or wandering. It is estimated that 60,000 deaths a year are directly attributed to dementia.
Lastly, it should be pointed out that not only the sufferer needs support. The carer has a frustrating and difficult role which is not always fully appreciated.Carers need support and respite.
This enlightening two hour seminar ended with a delicious tea provided by our Chairman Jen Jankel.
