We read with admiration, the recent HuffPost blog by Khadra Abdi; what a very powerful and moving account of living with Alzheimer’s and of the invaluable work of Alzheimer’s Society.
Khadra, a daughter of a mother with dementia, said that “the hardest thing is to be faced with stigma, scepticism and people avoiding uncomfortable conversations. The more people speak out – the more others might be brave enough to open up and get help and support”. She wrote ‘Dementia Isn’t A Dirty Word’ as part of Alzheimer’s Society’s United Against Dementia campaign.
Dementia is set to be the 21st Centuries biggest killer; at Compass CHC we regularly speak to clients & families with dementia and have a full awareness of the complexities of living with and managing this progressive neurological condition, which is why our ‘charity of the year’ is the Alzheimer’s Society.
Dementia is an ‘umbrella term’ used to describe a collection of progressive neurological disorders. There are several types of dementia and some people may be diagnosed with a combination of types. People with dementia may repeat themselves often or have difficulty finding the right words and may experience increasing problems with communicating. Other symptoms can include short term memory problems, experiencing confusion and disorientation in environments which are unfamiliar whilst other people may hallucinate, and some can experience depression and anxiety – however due to the progressive nature of the condition, each person’s experience of dementia is unique and they may not exhibit all these symptoms.
It is predicted that by 2021, 1 million people will be living with the condition whilst in the UK alone, more than 850,000 people are currently living with dementia.
Our guide to dementia and continuing healthcare can be found here.
Author: Tim Davies LLB
