100 Senior Citizens Attend Health Workshop

By 121 News Reporter

Chandigarh 31^st January:---- Max Hospital Mohali organized a health workshop on ‘Memory problems: when to suspect Dementia & Alzheimer ’. over 100 senior citizens attended the workshop.

Speaking during occasion, Dr Preeti Sahota, Consultant, Neurology, MSSH, Mohali said that memory loss associated with aging was often confused with Dementia. In the normal ageing process, person would typically complain of memory loss or forgetfulness, slower thinking and problem-solving, decreased attention or concentration and slower recall, occasionally searches for words besides pausing to remember directions. Dementia was a collection of symptoms including memory loss, personality change, and impaired intellectual functions resulting from disease or trauma to the brain. These changes were not part of normal aging. With dementia, there would likely be noticeable decline in communication, learning, remembering, and problem solving.  Elucidating on the difference between Dementia & Alzheimer, Dr Sahota clarified that Alzheimer was the most common form of dementia in which the death of brain cells caused memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, disorientation and inability to communicate. These changes would start mild and get progressively worsen with time. Since Alzheimer developed for an unknown and a variable amount of time before becoming fully apparent, it could progress undiagnosed for years. Thus it was important for family members to recognize the early symptoms.

Informing on the ways to deal with this problem which impacts almost 80% of seniors, Dr Sahota said that while there was currently no cure for Alzheimer, early detection was the best way to provide better medical care and outcomes. An emotional support from family & friends along with active medical management could improve the quality of life for Alzheimer patients. The treatment focused on several different aspects including helping people maintain mental function, managing behavioral symptoms, and slowing or delaying the symptoms of the disease.