This is alarming.
The Alzheimer's Disease International research called Demographic Ageing predicts that in 2050, there will be 139 million people suffering from dementia. In 2030, with a number doubling every 20 years from 2010, will reach the 78 million mark worldwide.
Do you know that someone somewhere across the globe starts living with dementia every three seconds? There are at least 10 million new dementia cases each year.
Dementia, the state of confusion, forgetfulness and memory loss, among many symptoms, usually manifests at age 65.
In the World Health Organization webpage, dementia, in its most common form as Alzheimer's Disease, shows that most cases come from low- and middle-income countries.
Our Patriarch
About five years before our patriarch passed on, we — from near or far — would all be alarmed by our siblings when he didn't come home on time after hearing and serving at the morning mass at St. Timothy's in Los Angeles, California.
Soon after, he would wander in the mall while our mother and sister are shopping. Eventually, when they should all be at the usual meeting area at a given time, he is nowhere to be found. Sometimes, it takes at least an hour for him to find his bearings and shows up. One time, the mall security had to be alerted.
What became really worrisome for us was when he was lost for one whole day. That same day, a former neighbor who recognized him said our father was seen knocking at a duplex apartment my sister used to own. He was looking for our other sister who had long moved to the Philippines.
While there where indicators that his "confusion" has deteriorated, most of the time, our father was lucid, recognized almost everyone around him, kept writing his memoirs, and did his usual daily routine except to go to church (unaccompanied).
Our mother, realizing his state of mind, patiently cared for him. He never was bedridden, never lost appetite and remained healthy, until a cardiac arrest on a fateful December 2018 morning. He was about to turn 94.
All our three brothers and three sisters in Los Angeles were by our parents' side when this heartrending event transpired.
Eleven of 12 siblings — coming from different parts of the globe — were present all through the wake and interment.
Our Mother
There were much room to grieve. But we had to be there to comfort — and distract — our mom for her own physical and mental health.
When the pandemic started in 2020, mom started showing signs of confusion and disorientation but she would instantaneously correct herself. The dementia "attacks" were transient.
In 2022, on her 100th birthday — without crutches or reading eyeglasses — she danced, entertain guests, read her thank you piece, and was very spritely.
Not very soon after, what we dreaded most arrived: she started showing signs of confusion and disorientation and kept imagining she has lost some jewelry, money or favorite clothes and shoes. What's worse was, like our father, she would go out unnoticed and be gone for hours.
She loves to cook and would volunteer to do so occasionally. One time, mom said she will take charge cooking rice for lunch. After preparing the pan for the rice cooker, she put the whole rice cooker on top of the burning stove!!!
In October, she will be 102, still ambulant and strong. We are aware mom is slowly fading away and her memory is slipping by.
By then, will she still remember our names?
Onset of Dementia
I myself passed the 65 mark, the age for when dementia symptoms usually become apparent.
Sometimes, I forget where I placed my keys, eyeglasses or cellphone. One time, I was alarmed when in a parking floor I couldn't find my car. It turned out I parked one level down. My bad! I should've taken a picture of the spot like even younger ones do.
Honestly, I am struggling to fight getting into the dementia fray, started taking supplements and do some brain exercises daily.
I acknowledge that manifestations vary. But the truth is dementia is a combination of age-related transformations in the brain. Factors include environmental, genetic, and, most specifically, lifestyle.
There are early traces of Alzheimer's and dementia that we should watch out for. These are: confusion with time and place; memory loss that disrupts routine; challenges in problem solving; difficulty in completing tasks; trouble identifying visual images, and problem with words, whether written or spoken.
The common onset symptoms are poor judgment and changes in mood and personality.
Most affected is one's thinking process and the ability to communicate.
Never Too Late
Is dementia potentially preventable? Note that it is not just a single disease. It's a combination of many.
In 2023, there was an Alzheimer's international campaign motto, "Never Too Early, Never Too Late."
Diagnosis usually come when the situation has turned into worse proportions. At an early age, health interventions — specifically for those with family history — and choices in lifestyle could be initiated.
Can we tell who will be the next in statistics?
At this point, the most basic is to understand what dementia is and to respond to signs of risks that may trigger its onset.
This way, we can help others cope and learn from these.
(email opinyon.luchie@gmail.com or luchiearguelles@yahoo.com)
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