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We all have to be prepared for onset of dementia, says Alzheimer’s Foundation chief addressing Mallika Nivasa Samithiya AGM
View(s):By Dilushi Wijesinghe
Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation President Prof. Shehan Williams said that although an estimated 300,000 Sri Lankans suffer from dementia, actual figures were not known.
Addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya as chief guest on Wednesday (24), he stressed that one in three people in their eighties are likely to develop dementia.
Prof. Williams, identifying dementia as “a silent epidemic,” said, “We don’t talk about it. We don’t like to discuss it. We all think our minds and our brains will never fail us and that we can go on doing whatever we have done until the day it comes by, but that may not be the case.”
He highlighted the importance of raising awareness about the disease.
The headtable and (left) the portrait of Mallika Nivasa Samithiya founder Mallika Hewavitarne
“Perhaps one day, I am also aware that even we may be affected by this condition, and we have to be prepared for it. And that’s the key thing that we have to be aware of,” he added.
Additionally, he spoke on the challenges faced by dementia patients, relating an anecdote of an individual who suffered injuries and fractures after boarding a long distance bus. “His family couldn’t find him for 3-4 days, searching all over for their father. Eventually, someone said, the police had found somebody fallen in a drain,” he said, stressing the dangers faced by patients.
Prof. Williams emphasised the high cost of care, noting that even the United States grapples with the financial burden of dementia care. “And even with dementia, if possible, we should live independently in the community, with our families, if possible, with those who can love and care for us. But we have to make sure that these places respect the dignity of the person. They respect us for who we are, and help us live life with dignity,” he added.
Prof. Shehan Williams speaking at the event
The vulnerability of the patients was also stressed by Prof. Williams, who emphasised that patients could be cheated financially and even deprived of personal belongings such as property.
“A lot of people become depressed; they have behavioural symptoms, start shouting, not sleeping, walking around in the night, DTSD or behavioural issues, and also complicated physical illnesses,” added Prof. Williams.
Proposing suggestions to minimise the risk of being a patient, Prof. Williams said, “As long as you keep using your brain and keep yourself physically and mentally active, you can keep dementia at bay. You can try to stop it, but the moment you stop everything, that’s the day it’s going to become a problem.”
Others present at the event included Mallika Niwasa Samithiya treasurer Chinthika Samarakkody, President Thyagie Gunawardhana, General Secretary Sarojini Dunuwilla, Deputy President Savitri Peiris, Western Province Probation and Child Care Department Assistant Commissioner Uchitha Munasinghe, and Sewwandi Hettiarachchi.
The AGM began with the observation of two minutes of silence, remembering members who had passed on within the past year while the portrait of the society’s founder, Mallika Hewavitarne, was garlanded.
Two senior committee members were felicitated for completing 50 years of service.
The two senior members who were felicitated. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
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