Confessions Of A “mentally ill” Nigerian – Case Eleven (Dementia)

The point of this series is to depict certain struggles which the “mentally ill” people- as they are called, go through while living their lives as average Nigerians in a country that is not enlightened enough when it comes to matters such as these. These are their stories.

CASE TEN – DEMNTIA

According to Wikipedia, Dementia is a group of thinking and social symptoms that interferes with daily functioning.

My Grandfather was a funny man. I never saw him a lot because he lived in Jos which was hours away from where my family stayed- but once in a year, we would go visit him, whether it was during the summer or Christmas. The moments spent with my grandfather were cherished moments. He seemed to be more filled with life than I, a young person was and it was beautiful to watch.

“You must enjoy life now that you’re young”, he said quite often, “I never did but now that I’m old- I want to. Don’t be as late to living as I am”

After that, he would ask what he said and I would say it back to him. He would smile but end up forgetting again- and thus it would be repeated the very next day.

Grandpa started to forget a lot of things. He forgot the things he said to us, he forgot the people he spoke to on the phone, one time- he forgot that he had washed his favorite shirt that morning and made a big deal about having lost it.

Every year when we visited, he was different than the last time. One day, mommy said she missed Grandpa even though he was still there. He forgot more with each passing year. He hardly ever moved too because there was a big chance that he would get slightly confused if he did. However, this was only around my mother who never let him out of the house, she never let him do anything, not even cook his food- which was offensive because Grandpa loved to cook.

When my mother wasn’t home, grandpa did all the things he loved to do. He listened to music, danced, and laughed. One time, he cooked for my brother and i. I never told anyone but his food was much more better than my mother’s.

It was obvious that Grandpa struggled with simple things, like having a shower, brushing his teeth, and crossing the road when we snuck out to take a walk. Sometimes, I had to say some things twice to him since he could not hear me well. He also forgot where he dropped a lot of things- so much so that sometimes, i would move them to places where he could easily find them.

It wasn’t until the third year after grandpa started forgetting that mommy took him to the hospital because daddy told her it wasn’t just old age like all her friends were saying. I didn’t understand most of what mommy said was wrong with him but our visits increased and all she asked was that I should give him love and patience. That wasn’t a problem.

I loved Grandpa. I loved listening to his jokes. I loved it when he would tell me stories of a time when he was younger and the world was much more different. I didn’t know if all those stories were accurate but I listened anyway. I loved it when he would hold my hand while we walked and when we danced to old school music. There was so much to learn from him in his final years- despite what he was going through, Grandpa never stressed himself, he was always open to learning the things he had forgotten how to do. He taught me how to really LIVE, especially in the present. There is no limit to my gratitude for all of that.

• Dementia is a syndrome that causes illnesses that affect a person’s behavior, thinking capabilities, and memories.
• According to WHO, around 50 million people have dementia with about 10 million new cases every year.
• 60-70% of these cases are people with Alzheimer’s diseases which is one of the most common forms of Dementia
• There are more than 100 thousand cases every year in Nigeria.
• It is one of the causes of disability among older people.
• Although Dementia is most common among older people from age 60 and above, it could also happen to toddlers, children, teenagers, and adults. However, cases like these are VERY rare.
• Symptoms of Dementia include; difficulty recollecting certain things, changes in mood, depression, short-term memory loss, confusion, and difficulty completing simple everyday tasks.
• While there is no test to really determine if a person has dementia, doctors can usually tell with a high level of certainty.
• It is harder to determine which one of the many forms of dementia a person has because symptoms may overlap.
• There are other conditions similar to dementia so it is important to not self-diagnose.
• People with dementia and their caregivers need a lot of assistance and encouragement because it can be difficult.

This brings us to the end of case eleven. Don’t forget to like, comment your thoughts and subscribe so you can be the first to know when the rest of the cases are available. Thank you.