Dementia does not discriminate. Whatever do we mean? Well, it can affect you regardless of your race, religion or class. Thus Muslim elders are far from exempt in getting a form of dementia.
In July 2013, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on dementia looked into the experiences of black, asian and minority ethnic communities on the subject of dementia. Whilst there was no data currently available on the incidence of dementia in different ethnic groups, it was likely that dementia would be more common among Asian and Black Caribbean elders. This was because high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease, which are risk factors for dementia, are more common in these communities.
Dementia most often affects older people, and the risk of developing dementia increases with age.
So what is dementia? The term 'dementia' describes the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases. This causes a disability that involves a progressive, irreversible loss of mental functions. Whilst there are a number of different diseases and disorders that can cause dementia, the most common is Alzheimer's Disease. Currently there is no cure for this disease.
Some of the difficulties that people with dementia might experience are (this is a non exhaustive list):
As there are a number of common conditions that can cause temporary confusion (e.g infections and constipations), it is very important that these are not mistaken for dementia. Therefore it is important to get yourself checked out early, as there are some rare types of dementia that can be treated, if caught at an early enough stage.
Unfortunately, there is no term for dementia in South Asian languages and most associate it to "just getting old". At MCC, whilst carrying out our listening campaigns, we continue to hear from the Muslim community that this disease does not affect us so much. However, we have come across countless families whose mother or father has dementia (albeit at different degrees) and are struggling to cope with the so-called symptoms at home as the family often are not prepared for it. These difficulties could possibly be avoided if changes are made in the way they are cared for and their environment, and their health needs are addressed.
For example, in the picture above, a person with dementia may get disorientated with time and place. They may say "I can't stay here, I have to collect my children from school". Rather than thinking, they are just going senile and to ignore them until they stop. It may very well be that their underlying need for saying this is that "they need to be needed". It is understanding the nature of the disease and in turn you understand how to care for them.
The key priority for the Muslim community is to encourage our community to get themselves checked out at an early stage and to raise awareness of this subject. This way, we can catch symtoms early and have appropriate measures put in place to ensure that our elders, family and the community as a whole are supported for the foreseeable future.
In July 2013, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on dementia looked into the experiences of black, asian and minority ethnic communities on the subject of dementia. Whilst there was no data currently available on the incidence of dementia in different ethnic groups, it was likely that dementia would be more common among Asian and Black Caribbean elders. This was because high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease, which are risk factors for dementia, are more common in these communities.
Dementia most often affects older people, and the risk of developing dementia increases with age.
So what is dementia? The term 'dementia' describes the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases. This causes a disability that involves a progressive, irreversible loss of mental functions. Whilst there are a number of different diseases and disorders that can cause dementia, the most common is Alzheimer's Disease. Currently there is no cure for this disease.
Some of the difficulties that people with dementia might experience are (this is a non exhaustive list):
- Problems remembering recent events, conversations and names
- Perceptual problems - eg problems recognising faces or objects
- Incontinence
- Difficulty in understanding what is being said, or finding the right words to express thoughts
- Disorientation in time and place
As there are a number of common conditions that can cause temporary confusion (e.g infections and constipations), it is very important that these are not mistaken for dementia. Therefore it is important to get yourself checked out early, as there are some rare types of dementia that can be treated, if caught at an early enough stage.
Unfortunately, there is no term for dementia in South Asian languages and most associate it to "just getting old". At MCC, whilst carrying out our listening campaigns, we continue to hear from the Muslim community that this disease does not affect us so much. However, we have come across countless families whose mother or father has dementia (albeit at different degrees) and are struggling to cope with the so-called symptoms at home as the family often are not prepared for it. These difficulties could possibly be avoided if changes are made in the way they are cared for and their environment, and their health needs are addressed.
For example, in the picture above, a person with dementia may get disorientated with time and place. They may say "I can't stay here, I have to collect my children from school". Rather than thinking, they are just going senile and to ignore them until they stop. It may very well be that their underlying need for saying this is that "they need to be needed". It is understanding the nature of the disease and in turn you understand how to care for them.
The key priority for the Muslim community is to encourage our community to get themselves checked out at an early stage and to raise awareness of this subject. This way, we can catch symtoms early and have appropriate measures put in place to ensure that our elders, family and the community as a whole are supported for the foreseeable future.