BANGALORE: A journalist
and voracious
writer of yesteryear, she is now withdrawn into a world of her own.
Faces of her children and loved ones no longer bring a smile to
her face.
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ALL ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
The World
Alzheimer’s Day was observed on September 21. Worldwide, 24 million
people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is a neurodegenerative
disease & the most common cause of dementia. The symptoms are memory
loss (amnesia), impairment of language, skilled movements, recognition
etc. The cause of the disease is unknown and it has no cure. Some medicines
may help control behavioural symptoms such as sleeplessness, wandering,
anxiety and depression.
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Leila
Iyengar is 89. Five years ago she began showing some signs that her
family put down to ageing. But
soon, they realised that it was more than just that. Leila was diagnosed
with the Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
“Her
progression into the disease began with memory loss. Till a few months
ago, my mother could eat on her own. She could recognise us. But now
she doesn’t. She needs help for her basic chores,” said Mr. Kumar
Iyengar, a consultant.
Mr Gangadharan,
former general manager of Wipro and his wife Shantha are the sole care
givers of his parents-in-law Janaki (88) and Rama Rao (97). Both are
suffering from AD.
“The
disease has changed my mother-in-law’s personality. She was a home
maker and a very hardworking person. But now, she has become very violent.
She does not recognise us, and does not speak,” said Mr. Gangadharan.
The aged couple are bed ridden. “We can’t leave them and go
anywhere. Our lives are limited to the house,” he added.
Actor
and model Hari Nair’s father P K Krishnan is also a victim of the
disease. “He forgets to eat. Sometimes, he is terrified of what has
happened to him. He stands in front of the wash basin and does not know
what he needs to do with the toothbrush. It’s very hard on my mother,
who lives with him in Kerala,” said Hari.
Mr. Noor
Ahmed is 76. A former general manager of Tata Steel, he was diagnosed
with the Alzheimer’s Disease four years ago. “My father was a very
sharp man. He was extremely well read and knowledgeable but now he has
withdrawn into a shell,” said Zia Ahmed, a consultant.
“He
used to forget his keys and would keep awake till late hours in the
night. He was not himself. That’s when we took him to the National
Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), where he was
diagnosed with dementia,” he added. These are the stories of the relatives
of people suffering from AD - a dehumanising illness.
The caretakers
in Bangalore can network through the Alzheimer’s & Related Disorders
Society of India (ARDSI), Bangalore Chapter, 337, 1st Block, 2nd Cross,
R T Nagar. Ph: 23548444/555. Email -
nightingales@vsnl.net