What it really means by getting old with Dementia

People relate getting old comes with conditions like confusion, repetition of behavior, aggression and of course wisdom that our elders carry along with them when they depart, In lay term “loosing ones Marbles” is signs of getting old.

However, this quote “Loosing one Marbles “has a more significant meaning then what we have an understanding of the issue. Getting old comes with its challenges, sometimes these issues remains unidentified and unresolved. Our loved ones suffer in silence just because the care taker or the family has zero to nil understanding of the causes that leads to the change in behavior and day to day activities and our parents and grandparents cannot express what is really happening to their mental and physical wellbeing.

We agree that old age do come with challenges that are usual and normal, at times, some challenges gets so severe that we do not understand the actual reasoning behind changed behavior and this is where the concept of understanding Dementia is very crucial.

In medical terms “Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with your daily life.”

“Dementia is a syndrome – usually of a chronic or progressive nature – that leads to deterioration in cognitive function (i.e. the ability to process thought) beyond what might be expected from the usual consequences of biological ageing. It affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgment. Consciousness is not affected. The impairment in cognitive function is commonly accompanied, and occasionally preceded, by changes in mood, emotional control, behavior, or motivation.”  WHO

Writer
Renu George
Head of Nursing at Hibiscus Care Home