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How the church family can support those suffering from dementia
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 2nd October 2023
Source: TCN / Heather Rauch
Date Added: 2023-10-02
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Medical,
Date Added: 2023-10-02
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Medical,
October is mental health awareness month in South Africa, with World Mental Health Day being October 10. This follows World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21.
Published in March 2022, the Annual Mental State of the World Report 2021 by Sapien Labs ranks South Africa as the most affected among the 34 countries surveyed in terms of mental health challenges.
There will, therefore, be people suffering from dementia in your congregation and in your community.
Some understanding of dementia is necessary in order to cope with it.
Dementia is a disease of the brain which has multiple causes, only some of which are understood.
It is important to draw a distinction between Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Dementia is the umbrella term for all the diseases of the brain, of which Alzheimer’s is one.
Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body diseases, alcohol-related dementia, HIV-associated dementia and dementia caused by trauma to the head.
Diagnosis is complex and can involve medical professionals from different disciplines.
Doctors use diagnostic tools including neurological exams, cognitive and functional assessments, brain imaging (MRI, CT, PET) and cerebrospinal fluid or blood tests combined with medical history and other information to make a diagnosis.
One of the first questions people ask when informed about a diagnosis of dementia is what causes it.
Lifestyle is a factor. A poor diet, lack of exercise, and abuse of alcohol and drugs are all believed to be contributors to dementia later in life.
What we do not know is what triggers the onset of the disease.
In the case of Alzheimer’s, neurons in the brain are covered in what are known as amyloid plaques which are believed to prevent the effective transmission of messages.
Prevention and treatment will only be successful once we understand why this happens.
Billions of dollars are being invested by pharmaceutical companies to develop a cure or to slow down the progression of the disease.
There will be a breakthrough, but for now there is no cure.
However, there are certainly ways to manage the disease well.
The causes of vascular dementia, the second-most common type of dementia, are better understood.
Blood supply to the brain is reduced by factors such as high blood pressure, poor circulation, sleep apnoea, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol abuse and an unhealthy diet.
But, the biggest risk factor for vascular dementia is ageing, with symptoms likely to only start occurring from when you are 60.
Once a person gets to 65, their risk of developing the condition roughly doubles every five years.
Apart from trauma, the other exception we are seeing more of is HIV-associated dementia which occurs when the HIV virus infects the brain.
There seems to be a higher than average incidence of early dementia among HIV patients, even if they are being treated.
In all cases prevention is better than cure, and the mental health profession is working really hard at helping people to reduce their risk of developing dementia.
One of the biggest factors is social interaction.
People who stay connected with others through their church, life groups, clubs and getting involved in charitable work are less likely to develop dementia than those who isolate themselves.
Take time to visit people in old age homes, join a line dancing group, take up bird watching – whatever gets you together with others and physically active.
If someone in your group starts missing meetings it is important to find out why.
One of the first signs of dementia is that people start withdrawing from society.
Early treatment is vital. Intervening is an act of caring and love, not interfering.
With the high levels of emigration and semigration from Nelson Mandela Bay we are finding it more and more common for people to be on their own, with no family support structure.
Even if there is regular contact with children and grandchildren by phone or video call, it is easy for most people to hide the early symptoms of dementia.
Added to this is denial – by both the person suffering from the disease and family members.
Therefore, friends and the people they do life with in the church become the proxy family.
People suffering from dementia may become progressively more difficult to deal with, but you need to understand it is the disease talking and not the person.
Inside, they are the same caring, funny and loving person they always were.
If they were regular church goers, then listening to the hymns and songs, having communion and being visited by a pastoral carer are hugely important.
Being in familiar surroundings connects at a deep level.
It is not only the person suffering from dementia who can become isolated.
If they are being cared for by family members or close friends then they, too, may stop coming to church or life groups because they cannot leave the person with dementia on their own.
We are seeing more of this because of the high cost of assisted health care and frail care.
The impact on the family can be reduced by church members volunteering to take over the caring duties for a few hours.
Help is also available through organisations like the Association for Dementia and Alzheimer’s South Africa.
Our volunteers include doctors, psychologists, nurses and social workers.
There are four support groups in Nelson Mandela Bay and others in the Easten Cape led by professional and lay volunteers who have had first-hand experience of supporting family members with the disease.
You can find out more and our contact details by visiting https://www.adasa.org.za
Dr Heather Rauch
is Eastern Cape regional manager of the Association for Dementia and Alzheimer’s South Africa and a private social work practitioner.
Published in March 2022, the Annual Mental State of the World Report 2021 by Sapien Labs ranks South Africa as the most affected among the 34 countries surveyed in terms of mental health challenges.
There will, therefore, be people suffering from dementia in your congregation and in your community.
Some understanding of dementia is necessary in order to cope with it.
Dementia is a disease of the brain which has multiple causes, only some of which are understood.
It is important to draw a distinction between Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Dementia is the umbrella term for all the diseases of the brain, of which Alzheimer’s is one.
Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body diseases, alcohol-related dementia, HIV-associated dementia and dementia caused by trauma to the head.
Diagnosis is complex and can involve medical professionals from different disciplines.
Doctors use diagnostic tools including neurological exams, cognitive and functional assessments, brain imaging (MRI, CT, PET) and cerebrospinal fluid or blood tests combined with medical history and other information to make a diagnosis.
One of the first questions people ask when informed about a diagnosis of dementia is what causes it.
Lifestyle is a factor. A poor diet, lack of exercise, and abuse of alcohol and drugs are all believed to be contributors to dementia later in life.
What we do not know is what triggers the onset of the disease.
In the case of Alzheimer’s, neurons in the brain are covered in what are known as amyloid plaques which are believed to prevent the effective transmission of messages.
Prevention and treatment will only be successful once we understand why this happens.
Billions of dollars are being invested by pharmaceutical companies to develop a cure or to slow down the progression of the disease.
There will be a breakthrough, but for now there is no cure.
However, there are certainly ways to manage the disease well.
The causes of vascular dementia, the second-most common type of dementia, are better understood.
Blood supply to the brain is reduced by factors such as high blood pressure, poor circulation, sleep apnoea, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol abuse and an unhealthy diet.
But, the biggest risk factor for vascular dementia is ageing, with symptoms likely to only start occurring from when you are 60.
Once a person gets to 65, their risk of developing the condition roughly doubles every five years.
Apart from trauma, the other exception we are seeing more of is HIV-associated dementia which occurs when the HIV virus infects the brain.
There seems to be a higher than average incidence of early dementia among HIV patients, even if they are being treated.
In all cases prevention is better than cure, and the mental health profession is working really hard at helping people to reduce their risk of developing dementia.
One of the biggest factors is social interaction.
People who stay connected with others through their church, life groups, clubs and getting involved in charitable work are less likely to develop dementia than those who isolate themselves.
Take time to visit people in old age homes, join a line dancing group, take up bird watching – whatever gets you together with others and physically active.
If someone in your group starts missing meetings it is important to find out why.
One of the first signs of dementia is that people start withdrawing from society.
Early treatment is vital. Intervening is an act of caring and love, not interfering.
With the high levels of emigration and semigration from Nelson Mandela Bay we are finding it more and more common for people to be on their own, with no family support structure.
Even if there is regular contact with children and grandchildren by phone or video call, it is easy for most people to hide the early symptoms of dementia.
Added to this is denial – by both the person suffering from the disease and family members.
Therefore, friends and the people they do life with in the church become the proxy family.
People suffering from dementia may become progressively more difficult to deal with, but you need to understand it is the disease talking and not the person.
Inside, they are the same caring, funny and loving person they always were.
If they were regular church goers, then listening to the hymns and songs, having communion and being visited by a pastoral carer are hugely important.
Being in familiar surroundings connects at a deep level.
It is not only the person suffering from dementia who can become isolated.
If they are being cared for by family members or close friends then they, too, may stop coming to church or life groups because they cannot leave the person with dementia on their own.
We are seeing more of this because of the high cost of assisted health care and frail care.
The impact on the family can be reduced by church members volunteering to take over the caring duties for a few hours.
Help is also available through organisations like the Association for Dementia and Alzheimer’s South Africa.
Our volunteers include doctors, psychologists, nurses and social workers.
There are four support groups in Nelson Mandela Bay and others in the Easten Cape led by professional and lay volunteers who have had first-hand experience of supporting family members with the disease.
You can find out more and our contact details by visiting https://www.adasa.org.za
Dr Heather Rauch
is Eastern Cape regional manager of the Association for Dementia and Alzheimer’s South Africa and a private social work practitioner.
Source: TCN / Heather Rauch
Date Added: 2023-10-02
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Medical,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2023-10-02
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Medical,
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