During his visit to patient’ homes, Dr Rahi often discovers sick old people who are very well treated but are sometimes subjected to isolation even within their families. “They no longer take part in family life,” he declares, “and what is even worse is when family members talk about them as if they were not present, when they are in the same room!” It is true that it is difficult to include someone who seems to be completely absent in the conversation. But it is very important to keep communicating with Alzheimer’s sufferers for their own wellbeing (check insert “Communicate in Other Ways”). “It is very important that people suffering from Alzheimer’s keep some social activity,” continues Dr Rahi, “they should keep writing, reading and talking. It is not only good for their morale but it also stimulates their brain. Anyway, with or without Alzheimer’s, old people should have some social activity to a much higher degree than what they have here in Lebanon. It is an excellent cure against aging and the general health problems that come with it.” These stimulating activities can be done at home with the help of an involved family circle. There is also the issue of the care that should be given to a person who doesn’t know how to clean himself/herself without assistance for example. The Alzheimer Lebanon Association can help families locate professional caregivers who can provide nursing help at home (washing, putting to bed …). The only problem is that professional care costs around USD 500 per month for a nurse on duty every other night. Another help option is turning to ‘live-in maids’ (which many Lebanese families have). Diane Mansour’s association can explain to the maid about the disease and the proper way to communicate with the sufferer. This is a viable solution provided that it doesn’t become a supplementary task for ‘live-in maids’ who already have a hectic schedule.

It is also feasible that friends and family (brothers, sisters …) who know of the disease can help by taking turns in caring for the patient.

Relieving the Family

Whatever its nature, home assistance should relieve the family’s daily burden and allow them to have some breathing space and private time when the sufferer becomes very difficult to handle. It is important to prevent the breakdown of relations between the patient and his/her family, especially when the disease gets more serious and family members become exhausted from continuous sleepless nights spent tending to a person whose behavior has become worrisome (running away, wandering, aggressiveness, agitation …) and can sometimes lead to a sense of resentment. In order to relieve them, Alzheimer Lebanon Association is thinking of solutions to place patients in welcoming specialized establishments when keeping them at home becomes very difficult. There are no specialized places in the Arab world yet, but in the meantime there are other alternative solutions that can be established if we follow the example other countries. In France there are small local entities where a specialized team tends to the needs of sick people during the day (Day Care Centers). Families can have a rest during this time. Some centers engage Alzheimer’s sufferers in reading the newspaper and discussing the latest news, skinning vegetables or cooking and other such activities they used to perform when they were younger because they mobilize their attention and dexterity.

However, such centers need qualified personnel with proper training which Lebanon currently lacks. It is a gap that Dr Mansour is trying to bridge by organizing colloquiums designed caregivers (nurses, home assistants …). Since 2004, several conferences have already taken place in order to take Lebanon out of the darkness surrounding Alzheimer’s.

The Disease in Numbers

• More than 24 million people in the world suffer from Alzheimer’s or from similar disorders.
• One new case is diagnosed every 7 seconds.
• 4.6 million new cases appear every year.
  Source: The Lancet, medical British magazine, end of 2005.

Contact

Alzheimer Lebanon Association
Phone: +961 3 245 606
www.alzlebanon.corg