Raising Awareness of Dementia
Tea & Chat 04/11/24
Understanding and supporting a person with dementia
Led by Crissi Arrowsuch
Bio Crissi came to speak to Pearls Tearoom to speak about Dementia. Crissi Arrowsuch’s career is truly remarkable, reflecting a deep dedication to mental health care, community support, and education. Her journey began as a young nanny for Lord and Lady Graham in Ripon, followed by mental health nurse training at Lynfield Mount Hospital. Afterward, Crissi expanded her experience in London, caring for young women with eating disorders in a private hospital. Returning to Bradford, she found night shifts in a mental health home more compatible with her lifestyle, as she was also caring for her young son and her mother-in-law, who was battling cancer.
Crissi’s connection with the Asian community, enriched by her marriage to a Pakistani man and raising her two sons has been central to her work in Bradford. Her expertise in mental health and care management saw her advance from senior nurse to deputy manager and then to manager roles in several respected facilities. At Greystones, she served as manager for over five years before moving to Lister House, then returning to Greystones.
Currently, Crissi contributes to research projects with the NHS, focusing on improving elderly care in areas like medication management, effective use of incontinence products, and posture support. Her career not only reflects dedication to patient care but also an impressive commitment to education, community, and continuous improvement in healthcare practices.
Dementia Dementia is a serious and complex condition, not a normal part of aging but rather a progressive cognitive decline with over 200 types. Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent, with nearly a million people living with dementia in the UK and 55 million globally. This number is projected to reach 200 million worldwide by 2035-2040. Certain communities, particularly Black and Asian populations, may experience early-onset dementia more frequently due to risk factors like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Symptoms and Stages of Dementia Dementia progresses through seven stages, beginning subtly with memory lapses such as forgetting car keys. Mild cognitive impairment eventually progresses to constant forgetfulness and repetitive checking. As the condition worsens, individuals may lose the ability to walk, communicate, or recognize loved ones. Symptoms can include anger, aggression, and confusion—especially in types like frontal lobe and vascular dementia, where blood clots or cellular death in the brain can drastically alter behaviour and personality.
In later stages, the brain struggles to send signals to the body, leading to an inability to eat, swallow, or communicate. Familiar environments can become disorienting, with patterns on carpets perceived as holes and mirrors causing confusion. Many individuals with dementia can experience confabulation (making up stories to fill memory gaps) and may even forget recent events while recalling memories from decades ago.
Impact on Families and Communities Dementia deeply affects families, who often struggle with the emotional toll of watching a loved one slowly change and disconnect. Cultural expectations around caregiving, particularly in Asian communities, often mean family members take on full-time care responsibilities, but the demanding nature of caregiving can lead to burnout and stress. Respite care and day centres have become essential resources, and culturally specific care homes now provide services, including halal food and Asian staff, to help meet the community’s needs.
Family members are advised to speak to social services or councils, like Bradford Council, to access support through care assessments. Financially, some families may consider asset transfers to children, as if you have savings there is no help from the government. Transferring assets to a family member to protect them from being used to pay for care costs is something some people consider when planning for long-term care. If the spouse dies, it will be paid for by their assets. So, if assets are in someone else’s name, they can’t use the assets.
Medical Interventions and Research Diagnostic pathways for dementia can be lengthy, with appointments, memory clinics, and CT scans often spanning months or years. Though medication is available, its effects are limited, and side effects can be significant. New treatments, including an injection priced at £700, provide only limited benefits. More advanced treatments, particularly for Alzheimer’s, are in development but are still years from being widely available. Research funding is crucial to accelerating breakthroughs.
Community Awareness and Prevention Dementia risk may be reduced through activities that stimulate the brain, like learning new skills, taking varied routes on walks, or learning music. Community support is essential, from helping with errands to offering caregivers short breaks. Knowledge of the condition, its stages, and available resources is growing, but further awareness and accessible support services remain critical.
Questions.
How can I make a will for someone with Dementia?
If somebody had a dementia diagnosis, needs to go to a solicitor or age uk etc, it is recognised as the person did the will when they had capacity.
How to care when end stage?
Living will, advanced directive. For example, treatment what do they accept and not accept. Medication, CPR. This can only be the wishes of the person, not the family.
Why is the NHS not doing enough?
NHS is stretched. But sometimes its diagnosed too late. Need to eat healthy, exercises. Keep an eye out on your health before it gets worse. Also, about education and looking after yourself. If your blood sugar is always high, it will spike your blood sugar in your brain. If BP is always high, small clots in brain. Always need to check and monitor health and controlled.
Should you eat a certain type of food if have dementia?
Non possessed food, organic food. Old ages ate veg from garden, no tinned food, all fresh. This is the outcome of eating rubbish food.
is there a cure?
No cure.
