Zeina, 31, Senior Officer tells us: “It all happened one morning. I had gone down to the kitchen to have breakfast with my 67-year old mum...but she did not recognize me. She simply didn’t know who I was.” Before this incident, Zeina’s mother used to forget the house keys more often than not, and then one day she got lost on a road that she normally knew perfectly well. These symptoms are very familiar to families with an Alzheimer’s sufferer and these symptoms get worse as the disease progresses. Towards the end, sufferers reach the stage where they cannot get dressed or clean themselves, incontinence hits, dementia sets in… Witnessing the progressive and irreparable degradation of a loved one’s mental capacities is very difficult for the families concerned. As a reaction, many “lock themselves away with shame,” says Diane Mansour, President of the Alzheimer’s Association in Lebanon (dedicated to helping families and informing the public). Of course when one’s not-so-old father or mother starts talking drivel, or even worse wetting their bed, we don’t really feel like talking about it. And yet, this is the right time to consult a GP for help by referring the family to a geriatric specialist or a neurologist if need be.

Ignorance

The first step towards consultation is usually taken with great difficulty by the families. This is due to ignorance that permeates Arab countries and Lebanon in particular. Since 1980, associations dedicated to Alzheimer’s have been established in 68 countries around the world, including only 2 Arab countries (Egypt first and then Lebanon 3 years ago with the establishment of Alzheimer’s Lebanon). This association publishes informative brochures for the public and organizes monthly gatherings for people with some links to the disease: families of Alzheimer’s patients, doctors, and also people from the public health field.

Through discussions, these meetings help patients’ families break the silence they were often trapped in. This silence was also noted by Dr. Fayez Rahi, a geriatric specialist in Lebanon for 28 years. He states that he only receives one or 2 confirmed cases of Alzeimer’s disease per year. These cases could be only the tip of the iceberg. He explains: “There are many Alzheimer’s cases that are hidden by families who feel ashamed when it comes to consultation. And when they see a doctor, it is often without the sick person or they ask me to visit the patient at home. And when I give my diagnosis, I don’t hear from them again, even though the patients need medical follow up.”