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.