BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OFFICIALS at the Alzheimer’s Association of St. Kitts and Nevis have recognized that many people in the Federation lack the basic knowledge of the causes and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease primarily affects people in their late sixties and beyond, and many of them are unaware of the warning signs.
According to the Association’s President, Joan Rawlins, it is good that the body – which has been around for four years - is established in the Federation, because it raises awareness for the ailment which primarily affects memory.
She told SKNVibes News that this awareness was not there for everyone and now it has created a window where people could better hear and understand what it means.
“For a good number of people, it was just a word that they had heard and they did not quite understand what it was about.
“I find there is a lot of ignorance about Dementia and ignorance about Alzheimer’s disease – people are not aware of what it really is and how it affects people.
“For example, I would meet someone and they would say I have an old mother, aunt or uncle and they are very miserable and they are accusing us of things, and are really bad minded and they are not nice people. What they might be doing is talking about a person with Alzheimer’s, and that person has not yet been diagnosed.”
She lamented that they could not put a number to how many persons in St. Kitts or Nevis have the disease, mainly because many of them are yet to be diagnosed.
Further, Rawlins noted that it is difficult to pinpoint any statistics owing to the fact that a prevalence study was not done, also the fact that the association has only been around for a very short time.
“It is difficult to find a trend...the prevalence study is absolutely necessary before you can make any statement about how much there is,” she explained.
She howevere intimated that in the Caribbean they have seen increasing numbers of Dementia or Alzheimer’s cases in all of the countries.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more than there were 10 years ago,” she noted.
According to Canadian officials, Dementia is a physical disorder in the brain, with physical changes being the major cause.
Rawlins noted that if someone suspects something is going wrong, he or she should visit a doctor, adding that people should not allow the elderly to seek diagnosis by themselves.
A change in memory, confusion in understanding what is being told to them and becoming quarrelsome and feisty around family members and people they know, are some of the warning signs of the disease.
