What is Dementia And How to Protect Senior Citizens suffering from it?
Posted on October 18, 2022
Summary– A symptom of forgetting things that interfere in the day to day life of senior citizens is called Dementia. There are various causes to it but the only con is that there’s no cure for this mental dysfunctionality.
Dementia can be found with memory loss in older people like the two recent cases: An ex-navy office and a general senior citizen of 95 years. The former was an Alzheimer’s patient named Ponnaiyan, went missing and was found three days after news publicity. He was lost in Domlur and was found in the roads of Bannerghatta, Bengaluru. On the other hand, the later named as Shankar Prasad Mishra was a dementia patient who was missing in the place Kalyan Nagar and was later found after three days in Lalbagh West Gate.
What is dementia and its symptoms?
A term used when a senior citizens’ cognitive function is affected due to his/her growing old age and inferior living style is dementia. This is a kind of issue commonly formed by Alzheimer as a disease of dementia. There are numerous symptoms to it with memory loss being the most found ones of all that’s mentioned below:
- Not recognizing people easily.
- Having trouble recalling people, places or things.
- Having a lot of trouble in planning any matter or executing a short task.
- Place and time thinking confusion.
- Poor behaviour and control of mood.
These are the most common symptoms of dementia and if you find your grandparents or relatives suffering from any of these, then consult a doctor to get better clarity about it. However, upto a certain age, senior citizens have memory loss, which is completely normal.
How dementia differentiates from Alzheimer disease?
Dementia is not a particular disease, but a senior citizens’ mental health function. It is a huge umbrella-like category that describes the poor living of an old person resulting in a mental health issue. And, one of the underlying diseases caused by dementia is Alzheimer and Parkinson that are common nowadays.
Issues with dementia
Dementia is a kind of problem that happens differently in different people. Thus, here are some general tips that can be taken into consideration when you or anyone you know is suffering from it:
- It may be difficult at times but one must always maintain a polite and caring attitude with the person suffering from such a disorder.
- Keep a short distance and try to be simple in front of them.
- When you speak, make sure to give them ample time in understanding what you’ve conversed with them.
- Avoid yourself from using abusive languages when having a conversation with them.
- Keep a positive body language and don’t raise your eyebrows even if you get irritated.
- Try to keep their room simple and fixed rather than changing their interiors, so as to help them understand where things are kept and get comfortable with.
- Keep them away from loose rugs, hot water bottles or any other item at home that causes hazards in their living.
Is memory loss a starting sign of dementia?
It’s wrong to think that memory loss is the starting cause of dementia, as there can be many other causes and not only this. Just suffering from memory loss does not confirm anything about dementia or any of its symptoms. Memory loss to a certain extent can be common for old people because of their ageing. Their neuro functionality might also die naturally after a certain age or might reduce working. This can also interfere in their day to day life. However, a person suffering from dementia might completely forget where they’ve kept things at times and not remember it back again.
Do these things if a person suffering from dementia goes missing:
● The first and foremost step when you find out that they’re missing is to look around your neighbourhood properly.
● If you still don’t find them then take any of their clear pictures and go to the nearest police station.
● Specially crime branches or any local police station can help you with it, so enquire there first.
● To publicise a bit more, connect with a press and spread the news on TV, social media and newspapers (if they’re missing for a longer time)
● Visit local markets, churches, temples, parks or any other public place where you think they can go.
Key Takeaway: Never delay your search and start, just as you get the news. Try to spread the news about missing people within 24 hours and work hard until three to five days (if they’re not found by that time).
Look for help to handle a dementia patient
There are many online tools and institutions available nowadays that can help you understand and handle a dementia patient. One such being Captain India App, which is a security solution app that can be easily installed on mobile phones of senior citizen’s; helping you find them. With its features like ‘home watch’, “tracking” and “SOS” you can keep older members suffering from Dementia safe and sound. Moreover, these above mentioned features, helps in finding people in an emergency and bringing them back home safely. So let’s keep the needy elders safe and protected!
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