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| Lois Grant |
Don't let them fool you.. they don't know anything either.
Where is our concern, loyalty and capability or responsibility to deal with the mentally ill especially with regard to the elderly and aging?
Recently I started to notice that an elderly I have known for a few years now.. has been acting very strangely. From my observation and little knowledge of dementia and Alzheimer's, I saw it coming. Now I have confirmed it.
What I have also been observing over the years is that the people most likely to be affected are those who were once intellectually very active and brilliant people..at the top of their professions.. teachers, lawyers, doctors, and nurses. The ones who used to use their brains a lot.
This person with the disease, does not seem to have been very close to any family member and has always guarded her privacy like a fortress..so much so she should have held a top-ranking government assignment to guard the vaults of our country's business.
Having heard of her condition, a former neighbour and obviously good friend.. offered to stay with her until the 'family' decided what to do for her. Whether they should hire a caregiver or put her in a home.
Needless to say in her mentally unstable mind, she will have neither as she is in denial about her health. She is insisting that all is well with her and that she does not need a , babysitter. In the meantime she continues to misplace things, keeps seeing people around that are only visible to her imagination, is going to take public transport to God he knows where. And so there is the fear that she may do another Bunny Wailer wife's act ..where she disappears and is never to be seen or found..again.
In the meantime, the church she so strongly supported has been called upon to assist to help make a decision as to what the future of this lady should be. Her one family member is awaiting their response. The 'family' has yet to make a decision and everyone is saying they don't know if she will want to do this or that, or how to get her to accept the fact that she can no longer be home..alone.
The truth is ...people still do not understand that this person has no say in any matter anymore. This is not the time to respect his or her opinion.. that opinion does not count. It has to be the decision of those still with sound minds to determine the dementia/Alzheimer's person's situation.
And action has to be taken now.. now before she harms herself or the community around her. What if she is allowed to use the stove and she starts a fire that could spread to the neighbour's house? Why the delay from the family while they contemplate on a matter that needs immediate and urgent attention?
OK ...so we report the matter to the police just in case she walks away and someone is kind enough to take her to the police station.. But what can the police do? They can't even handle the crime crisis in this country much less to take their limited resources to go hunt down a stray elderly.. What if she is not lucky enough to be escorted to the police station but is found by one of the evil criminals out there who decides to try "get a slam from a real old woman?" Some with their warped mind will see this as entertaining. That's how low we have become in this society. Or what if they try to rob her thinking that she has loads of cash in her purse?
Where are the government policies to address this ever-growing situation as our population continues to age? Why is there only a Dr Eldemire Shearer who can be called upon to deal with a crisis like this? And why are the various so-called government agencies so inactive when there are so many active cases of the elderly in need of help ..both mental. emotional and physical care?
An elderly friend recently told me that she has worked out her own transition programme and she will NOT be waiting on the system to allow her to go without some dignity. This should never be allowed to be uttered by anyone especially those who have served this country all their lives.
But the truth is.. our people in these agencies are not trained. How can a 30-40 year untrained worker be dictating how a 70-90year old with dementia or Alzheimers be managed.? .Where is their professional training?.
We don't understand mental sickness . Even when it's staring us in the face, we cant seem to see it. His fake Excellency Kevin '9 day talk" Smith being a fine example. Plus our society and those who claim to be so well educated are full of false pride and shame to acknowledge that our family member is not well ...mentally. We will not claim them no matter how well they performed in the past, much less now that they have been certified as 'Mad".
And that's just the truth. The whole truth and nothing but...
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About The Writer
Ms Lois Grant- JP, MA, BA. Dip Mass Comm. has worked in the field of Communications and the creative industry all her life.. Lois is a guest writer on Bark Di Trute. (Read more)
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So true. On a whole there needs to be more awareness in the country when it comes to people with any form of mental illness. This should be advertised just as often as much as possible
ReplyDeleteAn interesting article. Thanks Ms Grant. Thanks Vernon Derby. I understand the Alzheimer’s/ Dementia situation so well. It is an awful disease, which I call “the funeral that never ends”. The disease is really very expensive since she will (eventually) need 24 hour care. There is a switch that can be fitted to her stove without her knowledge, to prevent it from being turned on. Her finances need to be controlled so that she does not have access to her own money to give it all away or to take the bus. Sometimes family members are in deep denial about the situation until something serious happens. Action is needed now.
ReplyDeleteI am particularly touched by this situation since I’ve been in it for at least 15 years.
Please email me at ayswithvernon@hotmail.com with details about the switch for the stove. Where can it be bought.
Deletethis is a serious problem facing donmsny families. why the shame？no one calls down sickness on themselves. Jamaica really needs educating..can we ask Barbados fir help. sigh
ReplyDeletewhere did my comment go?
ReplyDeletetrying again this is a serious growing problem in this country thst no one seems to bevreadubgo address..no one calls down sickness on themselves. the MOH needs to look stvthis with the same undivided attention they are giving to civid vaccines.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people we see going about on a daily basis have been going thru a lot, they have no one in whom they can confide so they carry this burden day after day as selfishness has become the order of the day, we have also become a prayer n faithless society back in the days person's going thru issues would find a pastor of a respectable senior citizen to sit with who would guide them accordingly this is no longer the case hense the clogging of the mind,the sad reality is most of what we ask doctors to eliminate is in Reality Gods responsibilty, but this suggestion is scoff at hense our predicament.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the reasons why the murder rate is so high, I believe.
DeleteThanks for highlighting this very serious topic, Lois. The frightening thing is that no one is immune to this horrible disease.
ReplyDeleteLots of public education and in depth discussions are very urgently needed on the matter.
Thanks Lois, this is a trubling situation we have lost our morals, sensitivity. The society has become hard and callous. I pray we get back that old communit spirit of caring andchelping.
ReplyDeleteCorrection(community spirit of caring and helping)
ReplyDeleteA serious problem difficult to handle. Those with resources fare better. A caring family is also good,but it's always a challenge as the ones who suffer are not always aware of themselves even... ��
ReplyDelete