Preventing and Managing Alzheimer's and Dementia: A Holistic Approach

By Jenny Lewis

This practical book is the result of Jenny Lewis's research and experience as a carer for her mother, who has suffered from senile dementia for fifteen years. Despite her mother's continually worsening condition, Jenny has always fostered an attitude of hope, and a determination to improve her mother’s quality of life. In this book, she shares her advice.

Jenny speaks about the importance of valuing and caring for the elderly in our society, of encouraging mobility and independence for as long as possible. There is an emphasis on the prevention of Alzheimer's and Dementia through nutrition, physical activity and maintaining a positive attitude to life, as well as suggestions on how to improve the health and well-being of those already suffering from these conditions. Jenny goes on to discuss residential care and nursing homes, and the importance of adopting a new approach towards caring for the elderly in our society.

This encouraging guide includes practical suggestions that can easily be introduced into daily routines, such as recipes for nourishing soups and brain gym exercises.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Floris Books
• Release date: Sep 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781782503446

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis is a poet, playwright, translator and songwriter who teaches poetry at Oxford University. She has had seven plays and poetry cycles performed at major UK theatres and published four collections; the most recent, Gilgamesh Retold (Carcanet, 2018), was a New Statesman Book of the Year, an LRB Bookshop Book of the Week and Carcanet's first audio book. Jenny has also published three chapbooks from Mulfran Press in English and Arabic with the exiled Iraqi poet Adnan Al-Sayegh which are part of the award-winning, Arts Council-funded 'Writing Mesopotamia' project aimed at building bridges between English and Arabic-speaking communities. Jenny's first book, When I Became an Amazon (Iron Press, 1996/ Bilingua, Russia, 2002) was set to music by Gennadyi Shiroglazov and performed by the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Company in 2017 and, for International Women's Day 2023, by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Jenny's album of her 1960's songs, (including 'Seventeen Pink Sugar Elephants', co-written with Vashti Bunyan in 1963 and newly arranged and played by Vashti with Gareth Dickson) is forthcoming in 2024.

Book preview

Introduction

This book is the result of fifteen years of research and experience as a carer for my mother, Ruby, who has suffered from senile dementia for that time. For nine years Ruby was a resident of an EMI (Elderly Mentally Impaired) care home near where we live in Devon. Now, at the age of ninety-three years, my mother is in the final stages of her condition and requires nursing care. I have known despair, anger, frustration, physical and emotional exhaustion and shed many tears. Yet always beneath the layers of seeming helplessness, to prevent a deterioration in my mother’s condition, I have fostered hope — hope that there is a way to improve life, both now and throughout the duration of her condition, which in some small measure has been achieved.

I know that my mother, Ruby, who has always shown compassion, great courage and determination throughout her life, would wish me to share my research and experience, to benefit others and to bring hope and raise awareness that there can be a future for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. The old adage holds true: ‘If only I knew then what I know now.’

The path has been long and hard, but worth the journey if at least some of the suggestions in this book can be perceived as beneficial and acted upon by those who care for the elderly. If, as a society of individuals, we cared enough for the vulnerable elderly, we would implement essential specialist dementia training programmes for nurses, doctors, care staff and families as a priority! If the will is there, it can be done. The importance of encouraging mobility, and therefore independence, for as long as possible cannot be overstated. Care programmes that offer physiotherapy, daily music and movement help motivate older people — who could otherwise be sitting in a chair for long periods — to use their limbs, and they promote a feeling of well-being.

This is predominantly a practical book, containing what I trust will be seen as helpful suggestions for present and future carers who want to find the best and simplest ways to help those in their care to attain a healthy and fulfilled older age. There is special emphasis on the prevention of Alzheimer’s and dementia as well as suggestions on how to improve the health and well-being of those who already have these conditions.

1. Challenges that face us as we grow older

The challenge of ageing well is one of the greatest issues facing society in this country today. Predicted demographic changes show us that life expectancy is set to increase by two years per decade. This means that many of us living now can expect to gain about six minutes of life every half an hour!

At the present time, there are 750,000 people in this country with dementia, with the figures set to rise to 900,000 in five years time and to just under two million by 2050.

In the British Isles we have more than 10,000 people over the age of 100 years, and it is estimated that by 2020 or sooner this figure will rise to 90,000. How are we going to add purpose to life and see these years as a gift, rather than as years to be endured with debilitating physical and mental deterioration?

Researchers have found that keeping a positive outlook, instead of descending into negativity, fatalism and denial about the process of ageing, becomes a key factor in maintaining enjoyment at any age, especially as we grow older. The more effort that we put into understanding the physical and mental processes of ageing, the more we will discover how we can age well and go on to live fulfilled lives, even into our nineties and 100s. People do!

I am sure we were all moved by the words and dedication of Henry Allingham, the 109 year-old and last survivor of the Battle of Jutland. Henry travelled to France in 2005 to lay a wreath at the memorial service to honour those who fought in the First World War. Henry was fit enough to make the journey, and he was mentally alert.

In 2007 Henry’s golf club held a dinner in honour of his 111th birthday. Among the reasons given for his long life, Henry told of how he’d always cycled and only gave up when he was 100 years old. He’d also always been an active golfer.

2. Strengths and weaknesses that help or hinder

It is obvious that bad health, illness and disability can seriously erode our quality of life. However, even in these circumstances, a positive attitude can assist the healing process and help to make each day happier. Put simply, a proverbial cup can be half full or