Need for well-designed dementia awareness campaigns by Swapna Kishore.

From Swapna Kishore on Swapna Writes Blog: 

..."Dementia awareness is pathetic in India, a situation confounded further by misinformation and stigma related to the symptoms and to words like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. This results in multiple problems for affected persons, and my contention is that spreading dementia awareness is the key to improving the situation, and the fastest way to change things in the Indian society. 

For the purpose of this discussion, I look at the following broad areas:

Benefits of increased awareness
Awareness campaigns are an effective use of limited resources
Sustained, well-designed campaigns should be used to make a lasting difference"...

link: http://swapnawrites.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/need-for-well-designed-dementia-awareness-campaigns/

Understanding Dementia MOOC.

"Launch of the Understanding Dementia MOOC this Monday 31st March. There is still time to register."...

link: https://www.facebook.com/UnderstandingDementia

CARE3: "Changes in the home environment to help our seniors." Chennai.

Chennai: "Changes in the home environment to help our seniors." This is an excellent list to make one's home more senior friendly and help those we are caring for stay as comfortable, safe, and active as possible. Please take time to read and share this comprehensive list - and if you have anything to add please share your thoughts in the comments!

Sharing experience: "Changes in the home environment to help our seniors"

Our intent of changes at home is to help the elderly:
• do their daily activities on their own
• relax and feel safe

Some of their challenges:
• difficulty in movement
• limited vision and hearing
• they have craving for food at different times and need food to be soft"....

link: https://www.facebook.com/CareCubed/posts/622628257829414

Living with dementia magazine, Alzheimer's Society.

"He says: ...'There are six men in the group and we meet on a regular basis. We are able to relate to each other better than we could to other people.

'If there's anything bothering us we are able to talk openly about it. It's an absolute godsend to us all.'
John McErlane at homeAs well as spending time together the group have been involved in projects to help raise awareness of dementia. They worked together to produce a DVD titled Living with dementia – My story, in which they share their personal experiences of dementia and the support they have received since joining the group.
My world

Group members were also involved in a photography project, working with a professional photographer to take pictures that illustrate what it's like for them to live with dementia."...

link: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200241

"Economics of ageing", INDIA.

Universal health cover, among other things, is worth considering.

KANCHAN BHARATI / CHARAN SINGH.

"Medical care requires policy attention. The high cost of medical treatment and non-availability of health services results in deteriorating health. Those who can afford these services spend a substantial proportion of their savings on medical care. For others, especially those from the unorganised sector, financial constraints, lack of time, and distance to the hospital inhibits access to medical care.

Hence, universal coverage of old age health insurance is worth considering, as health-related expenditure rises significantly with age.

The challenge of a rising aged population is expected to intensify. In order to reach out to the large number of elderly, the involvement of the private sector, NGOs and religious institutions also needs to be considered.

Public-private partnerships can do a world of good."....

link: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/economics-of-ageing/article5841856.ece

KERALA : "novel scheme "Dial a doctor".

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of strengthening public health services, Kerala government on Monday launched a novel scheme "Dial a doctor" which will enable the public to seek health-related advice over phone round-the-clock from doctors by dialling a toll-free number. 

Inaugurating the project, chief minister Oommen Chandy said the facility is a major step in the healthcare sector. 

Under the programme, a person can dial 1056 and avail the advice of doctors especially regarding first aid, vaccination and health problems. The service is being made available through the department's call centre, Disha, which can be accessed through the phone number. "...

link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Kerala-launches-Dial-a-Doctor-project/articleshow/31346825.cms

DIGNITY IN DEMENTIA

On PRIVACY and DIGNITY : "From a personal perspective, working to keep someone's dignity out in the wider community has been something I've struggled with. Do I tell all the local neighbours about mum and dementia? Of course I want them to be able to support her - but, is this the right way? What about local shops and services - how much should I tell them?

In discussions with her GP, am I always careful to facilitate the conversation in a supportive way, rather than dominating the conversation myself?

Do I find myself making decisions because "I know best", or do I talk it through with mum in an appropriate way? And, in discussions with family members, is it always appropriate to tell them everything? ....

The University of Bradford has produced a video about decision making and a person with dementia: ..."

link: http://www.dementiachallengers.com/dignity-in-dementia.html

TAMIL NADU : ""Family Caregiver Support Meeting" on March 1st 2014.

Initiative from Care3 in TAMIL NADU : ""Family Caregiver Support Meeting" on March 1st 2014.

"current and former caregivers came together for an enriching evening. Dr. M.R. Murali gave a thoughtful and animated presentation on Deconditioning in Caregivers and highlighted how important it is for Caregivers to prevent tiredness, disability, and illness as they are caring for others. 

He discussed the importance of staying as active mentally and physically as possible - both for Caregivers and their family members - and focused on quality of life.

His clear explanations and understanding of the issues faced by Caregivers and those they are caring for really hit home with everyone present. 

Our tea time was just buzzing with activity! There were a lot of new faces and our veteran attendees were engaging all in conversations and making sure positive connections were being made. 

We ended the session with a discussion on some of the challenges we face in our interactions with health care providers (doctors, hospitals, etc.) and also some of the positive experiences we have had. 

We shared tips on ways to make these interactions with the health system better. 
It was our highest attendance for any meeting yet and it is just so moving and heartening to see our group growing and more Caregivers getting connected each month. 

Thanks to Dr. Murali and all those who attended and shared their time and thoughts with us! We will be posting a video of his full presentation this week for those who were not able to attend."


See the photo album at : https://www.facebook.com/CareCubed 


Dr. Murali is Director of Clinical Immunology from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.