STRUGGLE WITH LOSS OF MEMORY

Imagine not knowing who you are. Not being able to recollect and recognize your own life. 

If a person starts to question his own Identity and is unable to answer the basic questions that forms the basis of who he is, not knowing his name, where he comes from and not knowing the people in his family, that in itself it a scary situation.

Dementia is a symptom that decreases the cognitive function of the brain and interferes with the daily routine of a person. But again it is a symptom, which might be due to many diseases. The most known disease which leads to dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It contributes to 60-80% cases of dementia.

In India, forgetfulness is deemed as a part of aging and it is true to some extent. Old age comes with a general decrease in overall heath and not just loss of memory. This becomes a reason for delayed diagnosis of a disease like Alzheimer’s. There is no cure for such a disease so far but early diagnosis can be very helpful in the management of the patient and the family’s outlook towards their situation. Dementia is not just a difficult situation faced by the person suffering from it but it is also very difficult for the family as it is hard to understand how a person who was fine a while ago is now deteriorating like this. No one except the person suffering can understand what it feels like to lose a part of yourself every day and to be unable to explain it.

India is ranked 2nd in terms of people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia; with an estimated figure of 4.1 million. It is expected to double by 2035 according to The Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India.

Awareness about this issue is important as 6 in 10 people suffering from Dementia wander into the streets alone and cannot find their way back home. Depending upon the age and stage of dementia of the person, it is hard for them to remember even their own name, address or any relevant information that could help them find their way back . In India, only 1/10th of the total missing elderly folks are ever found. Even the ones who are found have a high chance of having sustained major injuries and being in a bad shape due to many factors including their own age.

If I were to have a positive outlook in this situation, then I would refer to the story of a 94 year old woman named Panchubai Tejpal Shingane who was reunited with her family in May, 2020 after 41 years. She was from Amravti district of  Maharashtra and lost her way in 1979. She couldn’t recall anything about herself. With the help of some kind people who took care of her, she was able to survive all these years and finally reunite with her family. The kind of pain and torture it would have caused to the family of Panchubai to have lost her like this is unimaginable.

My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s and seeing him deteriorate from a strong man to someone who could not even recognize members of his own family or recollect their names, was painful. He didn’t know who I was and confused me for his daughter. Unfortunately, in September of 2016 he wandered out of the house. Even though we took all kinds of possible precautions and yet something fell short. He went missing for 24 hours and I was not aware of this for more than 12 hours as I was not in town and my parents didn’t want me to be worried as I could do nothing. From the time that I came to know about this, the thought that crossed my mind, haunting me, was that what if I don’t get to see him again and it was heartbreaking. Those 24 hours were equally and more devastating for everyone in the family. He was found in the ER of a hospital. He had sustained major injuries including a broken hip but thankfully we found him. Few months later, he breathed his last in February, 2017. I believe the few months we got to spend with him were a blessing in disguise and I am grateful for that. It pains me to think that for one entire night nobody, in a place as busy as Delhi, noticed him or tried to help him. 

I would request everyone to keep an open mind and not ignore someone in need of help. There are so many such cases in the world and we need to pay more attention towards these cases. Be kind.

Even today in India there is no centralized support system for people suffering from dementia. With such an alarming increase in these cases, such a system is highly needed along with the necessity of awareness about this disease and such situations.

As a human being, I feel it is very important to be compassionate towards the weaker sections of the society, especially the elderly in this case.

THANK YOU.