Dos and Don'ts of communicating with a person with Dementia

Mala Sen had caregiving thrust upon her when her nonagenarian mother-in-law with full blown Alzheimer’s appeared in her life. She faced the challenges head on and says that she has emerged a stronger person in the process. A personal account: A caregiver, all of a sudden I became a care giver by default.... My husband's mother was developing Alzheimer’s which none of her 3 children were aware of .. A simple reason ..We have an insensitive approach to aging! When she would repeat anything…

Elly Park, Assistant Clinical Lecturer in Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta talks about the findings from a multi-site study into dementia and use of digital storytelling with memories I was sitting on the sofa across from Christine in her home. She offered me a cup of coffee. Each time I visited, she sat in the same spot — the place where she felt most comfortable and safe. She had shared stories from the past and decided to talk about the birth of her daughters, grandchildren…

Debabrata Roy, 49 is affected with early Parkinson’s disease which has turned his life and world upside down. He talks about the inevitability of the progression of this dreaded ailment. When were you diagnosed? Two years back, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. About six or seven years back when I had a gall bladder operation, I noticed the symptoms back then, but nobody really took it seriously.  Now it has become pronounced. What were the early symptoms of Parkinson's Disease?…

Saadiya Hurzuk is a Centre Manager and Clinical Psychologist at ARDSI Hyderabad. She shares her views on why it is important to have an early diagnosis in dementia treatment. Over a period of time dementia has become one of the frightening epidemics in the global health scenario. With social stigma attached to the disorder, it is kept hidden. People find it difficult to accept and understand the problems they are facing with memory and cognition that is affecting them daily. Most of the time…

Vimal Balachander talks about the difficult days of caring for her mother-in-law during the latter’s steady decline with Alzheimer’s Disease. ‘Will I become like my mother?’ my mother-in-law asked me five years ago, in a shaking voice, ‘I don’t want that, I know what that is, sitting in a corner quietly’. This was in 2012. My mother-in-law, then 74, hither-to-independent business woman, had recently moved into our apartment, just fifty feet away from her beautiful seaside house. Savithri…

Neha Sinha, a clinical psychologist by profession talks about how emotional connect is very important for people with dementia. Even if they have loss of actual memory, they remain receptive to emotions as well as to the body language of people around them. Each individual is unique and so are his or her experiences, memories and feelings. There is a general apathy towards dementia especially when it comes to remembering the person they are, the rich history they hold. People with dementia…

Swapna Kishore sheds light on the rarely talked about challenges of home care for late stage dementia, especially due to low and infrequent communication and multiple medical problems.  She brings together her interviews with Dr. Soumya Hegde, a Bangalore-based Consultant Geriatric Psychiatrist who provides practical solutions. Most discussions around dementia are about memory problems, confusion, wandering, withdrawal, aggression, etc. We rarely talk about later stages, when the loved one…

Neha Sinha, a clinical psychologist by training shares her views on caregiving in Dementia, the effects of longtime caregiving on a person, how to keep his balance in tact and also avoid an early burnout.  ‘Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible’ ~ Tia Walker Caregiving in Dementia Caring for people with dementia is in many ways more challenging than looking after somebody with a physical condition. This is because when you look after someone with dementia…

A quick snapshot on how music is helpful for persons with Parkinson's Disease. And of course, it is enjoyable. Haven’t we all enjoyed some form of music in our lives? We may all have different tastes in the types of music, but we do enjoy it.  Music can be beneficial for us in the following ways : When we sing we use the same muscles that we use when we are speaking. Thus singing regularly helps us develop clarity in speech and a good pitch, thus making it easier for people to…

Practical Tips on how to handle Dehydration among people with Parkinson's. And 6 Healthy Eating Tips. DEHYDRATION Dehydration, or loss of balance of bodily fluids, is a problem commonly faced by PwPs, but is often mistaken for other symptoms of the disease, because it tends to cause dizziness, weakness, constipation etc.” Dehydration is common amongst PwPs, due to the following reasons: Due to specific symptoms of PD, such as urinary frequency, swallowing difficulties, slowness & rigidity…