Dear Readers,

One of the more common and growing infirmities that ails a good part of our senior community members today, is a steady increase in the number of cases suffering from dementia and/or Alzheimer’s Disease. For many of us who aren’t clear about the difference between these two – Dementia is a general clinical term or an umbrella term used to define a set of symptoms caused by physical disorders affecting the brain. This results in symptoms like a decline in memory, reasoning and other thinking skills, which interferes with the normal working of one’s daily life. Alzheimer’s is a specific disease accounting for 60% – 80% of dementia cases.

This condition is devastating – mentally and emotionally, to both – the one afflicted and to their loved ones. The one thing we treasure more than all else, the only real thing that matters in life when we know it’s time for curtains down on our time on this earth, is our memories. And that is what is stolen from those suffering with this mental condition, gradually, in bits and parts, till the time when most of one’s memory is erased… to the extent one is unable to recognize their own family and loved ones anymore. A near-total cognitive shut-down.

Though there is no known cure, there are ways to prolong the illness from gaining ground – with medical care and professional guidance, it is possible to arrest the speed of cognitive decline. What really helps is comforting the person with verbal and physical reassurance, or distracting and redirecting them, giving them easy-to-do housework, which makes them feel needed and useful. Without adequate intervention, this condition can deteriorate at a rapid pace.

If you know of seniors, in your own home or outside, consistently displaying symptoms of compromised cognition and behaviour, do your bit to help them seek the needed help, so they could spend their twilight years in joy, by cherishing a lifetime of memories, which would otherwise be stolen from them, leaving them empty and broken on the inside. You could also write to us at editor@parsi-times.com and we will provide you with professional guidance by our expert columnists – Dr. Danesh Chinoy (‘Please Remember The Real Me When I Cannot Remember You!’ – Pg. 14) as well as psychologist Mehezabin Dordi, who practices at the Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital.

In other news, on behalf of the community, Parsi Times heartily congratulates multiple Guinness Records holder and the nation’s top martial arts champ – Vispy Kharadi, for recently being conferred the title, ‘STEEL MAN OF INDIA’, after having set three new Guinness World Records, taking his overall number of records held to ten! (Pg. 6) Kudos indeed for keeping the flag of the community and the country fluttering high! More power to him!

Have a good weekend!

 

 

– Anahita