Approximately 50,000 Kiwis have dementia and two out of three of us are touched by it in some way – either through our families, friends or work. By 2050, the number of people affected in this country is expected to triple.
Dementia can be a cruel disease, robbing not only the sufferers, but also the people charged with their care of time, love, connection and experience. For a third of New Zealanders, it is one of the things we fear most about ageing.
The most common symptoms affect thinking, reasoning, behaviour and memory. It is a progressive condition, and currently cannot be prevented, slowed or cured. It is also estimated that only 60% of cases are correctly or completely diagnosed.
Dementia is a national health care priority (along with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke), dementia is another condition that is taking up huge resources (both financial and emotional).
The burden of care still falls largely to families, which can add enormous pressure to those already struggling to cope with the multi-generational challenges of ageing parents, young children, long working hours and geographical separation.
The Netherlands have come up with a model for Alzheimer’s sufferers that seems to be requiring less medication, better quality of life and independence. It is an ambitious model, but one that may be an option for countries such as New Zealand as time goes by.
robe047 - 9 years ago
Vite e. By the age of 66yrs, my hair had turned grey/white. Started taking Vite E, with Selenium, low dose To start with, increasing to 500 mcg. After nine months my hair colour returned to what it was in
My teens. Ginger! And they say ‘you can’t to do anything about Gingeritus’. Still have my Londoners
Sense of humour though, but it hasn’t done anything for my short term memory, sorry what did you
Say your name was?