Last week, the news media was conducting a blitz of awareness on the importance of early diagnosis to the timely treatment of dementia.
This emphasis was the result of a survey done by the Alzheimer Society of Canada this past October which found that most people, both the elderly themselves and their family caregivers, simply did not act on signs of dementia early enough to ensure the best treatment possible.
The two main reasons, of course, were either a lack of understanding of what the symptoms were (usually on the part of caregivers) or a blatant denial that any issues were “out of the ordinary” range of mental decline due to aging (usually on the part of the elderly themselves).
In the short time I have been living in the eldercare world, I have come to the conclusion that the two most difficult topics to discuss with the elderly are dementia and death.
The issues surrounding departing this world, either mentally or physically, are emotionally charged, and while some elderly have a very pragmatic approach to ‘lining up all of their ducks’ to save anyone else having to make decisions for them, others simply well up with tears and either refuse to talk about such issues or say they’ll talk about it later.
My dad talked about what he’d like for funeral arrangements just three days before he died because, up to then, he was planning to fight on and any discussion of giving up was not an option.
As I have said in the past, the issues of mental health are even more complicated than the physical issues.
After all, regardless of how physically ill a person is, if they have their wits about them, then a frank discussion of the choices available can take place.
But as the mind begins to slip away, the ability to include the individual in the decision-making that will affect their future quality of life becomes more challenging. If for no other reason than to allow them some decision-making autonomy, an early diagnosis and full education as to the options possible is better done sooner rather than later.
At this particular moment in medical history, Alzheimer’s is neither reversible nor curable. But in many cases, the progress of the disease can be slowed down. It appears to be one of those diseases that has a downhill acceleration as time passes. In other words, the onset of the disease tends to speed up as time moves on.
That is precisely why the Alzheimer Society is encouraging addressing the issue early so that if a diagnosis can be made, intervention can slow down the early phases and, thus, exponentially increase the time spent with the minimal effects of the disease.
It is also important to start the process of diagnosis early because there are a number of steps necessary before ensuring the diagnosis is certain, and as anyone who has dealt with the medical system knows, the wheels do not always turn as quickly as we might like.
It is not unusual for a diagnosis to take up to 12 months in cases of early onset dementia, less if symptoms are more severe. But then it may already be too late at that point to benefit from the most timely interventions.
For more insight on the topic, go to http://www.alzheimer.ca and read through the information on that site or, if you do not have internet access, set up an appointment with a family physician to discuss the steps in obtaining a diagnosis and the symptoms which might indicate a potential case of dementia.
It is important to recognize that with early action the time, of high quality mental functioning can be improved and that will relieve stress for everyone involved.
Graham Hookey writes about education, parenting and eldercare (ghookey@yahoo.com).
