It is a sylvan house in a quiet road in Jubilee Hills. You enter and a group of senior citizens are playing a game. Shyamala, a 69-year-old former teacher looks around cheerfully as her 71-year-old husband Krishnamurthy stands behind her. There is sudden excitement as the group gets ready for a music session. The members sit in a group and first start with a few stretching exercises. Shreshta, a little girl in the group accompanying her grandparents narrates a Sardar joke and there is laughter all around.
The music session begins and a 61-year-old participant Kavitha sings the song Mera Jeevan kora kaagaz, kora hi raha gaya…. The get-together ends when the co-ordinator Safina announces that their Meet on September 21 will be at Sainikpuri. This is a weekly routine for Shyamala, Kavitha and a host of other senior citizens like them, who are no different from an old monument showing signs of decay and resilience. Bogged with memory issues and behaviour problems to not being able to do simple day-day activities… these senior citizens, suffering from Alzheimer's continue their twilight years with the support and care by their caregivers. Amidst regular media reports about the harrowing time senior citizens face due to the neglect by their children, it is heart-warming to meet the caregivers and know the support they offer during testing times.
“Retired but not tired,” exclaims Krishnamurthy, Shyamala's husband who is her constant companion. “Shyamala's mother passed away two years ago but she has forgotten it and sometimes she says she wants to meet her mother,” says Krishnamurthy.
“I was shocked that my heart did not break into pieces when my husband forgot that he was a professor in an univerisity. Imagine seeing him feel lost and disintegrated and not being able to connect things,” says Prameela tears welling in her eyes. Safina, co-ordinator, Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India, Hyderabad Deccan (ADRSI, Hyderabad Deccan) says these awareness sessions try to engage the participants with different activities. Kavitha, a native of Udipi was working with a public sector organisation till she retired two years ago. Her son, a software engineer accompanies her to these sessions. “She gets angry and becomes aggressive. Sometimes, when she sees my son playing, she starts shouting at him that he will fall off while playing. That is a genuine concern but she would get too paranoid,” he says. The caregivers say it is heart-rending when the family members see their parents or husbands/wives turn from dynamic individuals, who could take on any challenge to disintegrate, deteriorate and become dependant even to do basic things. “My husband, a former banker was game for any challenge in life. Now, he forgets to sign on cheques and cannot differentiate between currency notes. He was a short-tempered and impatient person. I should have known the symptoms,” says Manjula.
Rukshana Ansari of ADRSI, Hyderabad Deccan says the awareness about Alzheimer's is still low in India. “Even among general physicians, the awareness is low. If a patient goes to a doctor to discuss about his/her forgetful nature, the doctor just sends him/her back saying that it is simple ‘matimarupu' or ‘ satiyajaana' due to old age,” she says. Recently at the care-givers meet, she spoke about the functional rehabilitation for persons with dementia. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and experts say one can delay the process by being physically and mentally active. “Use it or lose it,” smiles Rukhsana pointing towards the brain. However, the irony is that there are examples of people like Nani Palkhiwala, a brilliant legal brain who was affected by Alzheimer's. As we observe World Alzheimer's Day on September 21, it is significant that we not only speak about the agony of senior citizens affected by Alzheimer's but also acknowledge the support and care given by the caregivers.
(Names have been changed on request)
