dimentia

My thoughts on 
Dimentia 
Why does this debilitating decease have to rob you of time with your partner, your love and your dignity.
What I have learned has been overwhelming and daunting.
The Many forms of dementia that affect everyone differently. Yes under the umbrella of Alzheimer’s are many layers and trying to understand it or fathom when it truly began. 
just like there are many versions of Cancer no two are ever the same! 
You suddenly wake up to being on an island where the people you once thought would be there help you through this and give you the moral support all detach themselves and watch from a distance the small snippets and form expert opinions.
Heart breaking and soul destroying.
What are the
 habits of a sufferer and why do the 
Symptoms differ so.
Behaviour 
Becomes Noticeable
Number sequence becomes difficult and daily routines can cause stress. 
Medications and cross over prescriptions can affect the overall day to day. Learning to find the right medication takes time and needs constant supervision.
Mineral vitamin deficiency play a huge part and for the most part it is hit and miss. 
What you eat and how much could set off a roller coaster you don’t want to begin. I have found it to be trial and error.
Seeing different doctors who don’t speak to each other is a huge problem
All professionals should be consultative sit together and work together as a cohesive team.
So that once diagnosed the necessary assessments become a tool to prevent 
Depression 
Fear 
anxiety
Paranoia 
Anger 
Diagnosis is tricky since your assessment is not necessarily accurate 
Home assessments are better as one sees the overall picture and then through these observations help contain the speed at which this awful decease takes away your cognitive abilities.
The key to this process is to 
◦ Address it don’t ignor it! 
◦ talk about it 
◦ Create the best way forward 
◦ Ignoring it / social awareness so that you don’t lock the person away. 
◦ Get out  and change the scenery
◦ Stick to some routine add a bit of change to the week but assess the fallout and regulate it.
◦ Be considerate as to how the person is feeling the stress of it. In Johns case he responds to a soft answer and encouragement. 
◦ Vulnerability is a very real issue as it brings with it lots of behavioral issues sometimes hard to understand!
◦ Remember that you can’t drag the person into your reality you have to join theirs.
◦ Love ❤️ is the barrier as the divide grows. 
◦ Once the memory conduit is blocked and words have become few - the only communication left to reach them is the heart to heart language of love. That has to be the constant as it is the connection point 
◦ The person caring for the person has got to feel this love and devotion to reach them!
◦ Day by day the minutes are being stollen.
◦ The bewildered look 👀 the fear and the sadness it brings is hard to watch at times but they become your signals for help when required.
◦ Being a wife and the carer is one of the hardest things I’ve had to endure for a multitude of reasons.
The loss of memory of one’s precious partner brings the gradual loss of a partner which is slow and cruel, difficult at times and hard to navigate. 
Prevention !!! Where is it. Why don’t we learn about that!
◦ How we take care of our bodies 
◦ Stress care 
◦ Sleep deprivation
◦ Medicinal side effects
◦ Genetics
◦ Research and what I have learned to guide me through the waves of life.
Prevention should start from the age of 30-35
Regular sleep helps prevent it.
Good sleep patterns are necessary you can never catch up sleep 
Most important is Stress management 
Distress for an hour 
Excersise- any form of movement 
Outdoor walks 
Find things to do in plett. 
Social settings help others understand 
Don’t make excuses educate others 
Automated - movement 
structured mobility
Balance exercise is important 
Fresh air outdoor 
Nutrition- essential 
Food is medicine 
Used correctly can make the difference 
Individual based 
Certain non negotiable foods 
Lifestyle change that becomes the norm 80 /20
90/10 is the ideal 
Maintenance on our bodies 
Sugar is the worst thing for dementia as it will crave more 
• Eating late is not good 
• Medication 
Alternative 
• Clinical/alternative 
• Gut health associated with brain health and what you eat No age limit 
• Change life style 
• Step into their dimension 
• Change the lifestyle carer and Dimentia relative to controlling 
• Stability in placement of  usual items 
There’s never a moment when they are not here 
They begin to communicate differently 
Communication 
Heart to heart 
Out of Love ❤️ 
Touch And eye contact 
I love ❤️ John it has been my honour and privilege to take care of a man I respect and adore. 
I may not get everything right as required but I do know one thing I will die trying because love has no bounds and my gratitude is my strength
“Love ❤️ changes everything” 
is our song 🎵

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