While World Mental Health Day on October 10 is aimed at raising awareness, many elderly people who live with dementia continue to be misunderstood in some communities.
The Daily Dispatch in the last two weeks reported on two elderly people with dementia who went missing and have still not been found.
Dementia is characterised by an overall decline in memory and other cognitive skills.
The Dispatch spoke with families who shared how the devastating condition affected the lives of their loved ones and their families.
Ted Keenan, who is a business correspondent for the Daily Dispatch, said his grandmother, mother and his long-term partner had all died of complications due to dementia.
“With my partner, who was in her 60s, I was the primary caregiver for two or so years.
“That was very tough because you are watching them die a little each day. It is soul-destroying.”
Dealing with his mother’s and grandmother’s dementia had not been as tough as they were older and both in a home.
“I did not live with them. They were in a home. My grandmother was a handful and gave her husband a torrid time,” he said.
“My mother was relatively placid, but did bizarre things which alienated her from other residents.
“For my partner, who stayed at home, the community was great, but they were close friends and acquaintances.
“For the other two, the people in a home tend to stick to themselves. They are mostly kind.
“We are not talking about an old age home, but a high-care place,” he said.
Inga Mtiya said her grandmother had been diagnosed with dementia at the beginning of 2022.
“I remember telling one of my family members about it and her words were ‘your grandmother practises witchcraft’.
“It’s very hard for us to explain to people what’s happening because they don’t know what dementia is,” she said.
Mtiya said it was upsetting that there were myths and misconceptions about dementia and mental illness.
“At first we didn’t know what was happening because she would see people and talk to people that are not there.
“She would wake up at midnight and get out of the bed to go to church.”
On another occasion, her grandmother had fallen and hurt herself when she got out of bed.
“We had to take her to hospital and during that time she was diagnosed with dementia,” she said.
Mtiya said it has not been easy for the family because they had little to no knowledge about dementia.
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Her grandmother lives in Butterworth and refuses to move to the metro to live with the family.
Dr Lesley Ann Foster of Masimanyane Women’s International said her late mother had suffered from dementia and had lived with her and her family before she died two years ago.
“We wanted her to be surrounded by family who loved and cared for her,” Foster said.
“She lived a full life and did not completely lose her faculties.”
She said it was important to keep a person with dementia calm.
Kennersley Park Retirement Village nursing services manager René Wienekus said it was important to ensure the safety of people living with dementia by avoiding safety hazards, being prepared for emergencies, installing locks out of sight and keeping walkways and rooms well-lit.
“Keep well-loved objects and photographs to help the person feel more secure,” said Wienekus.
Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said there was a lack of understanding and awareness of the illness that was compounded by superstitious beliefs.
“There's a great need for education to start with families. Scores of women for ages have been killed after being accused of witchcraft due to a lack of understanding of the condition.
“The department is busy with public awareness campaigns to educate the public about this.”
A medical doctor who asked not to be named, told the Dispatch that as more people lived longer, more were diagnosed with dementia.”
Kupelo said those suffering from the disease needed permanent care and to be kept safe.
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