Muscat: The Oman Alzheimer's Society has begun their activities marking the World Alzheimer's Month in September with a Purple Cafe event held at Intercity, Al Khuwair.
The event was for the support group for Alzheimer's patients' carers, who discussed challenges they face while caring for an Alzheimer's patient. The important part is that caregivers get to share their experiences but can also benefit from experts.
More than 40 members attended the event, supported by the Intercity Hotel.
On September 15, a webinar will be held, and the objective is about how to help someone with Alzheimer's.
"On September 26, we are having the National Alzheimer's Month Symposium, and it is going to be for the healthcare workers. This year it is being held in Suhar. The major focus is going to be on how to diagnose Alzheimer's and how to support a person with Alzheimer's with the latest and advanced methods when it comes to assessment and diagnosis," explained Dr Hamed al Sinawi, Chairman of the Oman Alzheimer's Society. This year the theme is time to act on dementia and time to act on Alzheimer's.
"The idea is to encourage people to come for early detection of their condition so they can benefit from available treatment,” he noted. In many cases it has been observed that people do not realise that they have been effected by dementia, and according to Dr Hamed, this is so because they are in denial. "The family might begin to notice the signs first because they see changes in their loved ones, and the individual is confused, might misplace things, and has difficulty communicating with people. Some people tend to play it down, saying it is part of ageing, and push it aside because he does not have to go to work anymore, so it is okay to be forgetful," he pointed out.
However, with time, the symptoms get worse, as individuals with dementia would soon find it difficult to do basic daily activities such as looking after themselves, washing themselves or even combing their own hair, going shopping, driving a car, and handling money.
More often than not, the people most affected by the stigma, misinformation and discrimination are in fact those living with the condition and their families.
"So often, those living with dementia tell us they wish they had known more about the condition earlier and that their communities were better equipped to support them. We hear their experiences daily, from accusations of witchcraft, through to abandonment by family and relatives; stigma has real world consequences" Says Paola Barbarian, Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer’s disease international. Paola added, "This World Alzheimer’s Month, we are saying loud and clear: it’s time to act on dementia. Every moment counts."
The hashtags #TimeToActOnDementia and #TimeToActOnAlzheimers will be used throughout September to rally global attention and encourage proactive steps toward better understanding, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive care for those living with dementia.
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