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September 2003 Newsletter
Zimbabwe Alzheimers and Related Disorders Association (ZARDA)
September 18, 2003

Membership
A big welcome to Sam and Margaret Wallace as our latest members. Also a big thank you to Kubatana for including ZARDA on their network.

Events

• World Alzheimer’s Day
  The Harare Branch of ZARDA will acknowledge world Alzheimer’s Day by getting together with GP’s. We are going to have three guest speakers, Mrs. Lesley Gregory, our Honorary Physiologist, Dr. J. Miekle, a Neurologist and Dr. Ingrid Langman who is a GP and Gynecologist. The function will be held on Thursday 25^th September at Well Women Clinic. Unfortunately, due to a restriction of space, only GP’s and the guest speakers will be able to attend. However, we will be taking notes and sharing the information with you in our next newsletter.

• In Perfect Partnership
  As you know the worldwide theme is In Perfect Partnership and hereunder are a few notes from Alzheimer’s International.
  
  Working with your doctor to get better care:
  Good communication between the doctor, person with dementia and carer is very important but often takes time and effort. As dementia is a chronic condition, it is especially important that the person with dementia and their carer form a positive, long-term relationship with their doctor. Over time, as dementia progresses, the needs of the person with dementia and their carer’s will change, so regular well-prepared visits to the doctor will help with getting the best care. Your doctor only has a limited amount of time to spend with you, but you can get the most out of each visit by being prepared.
  
  Before your visit:
  Keep track of changes in your behaviour and medication (or the person you care for), along with any concerns or questions that have arisen since your last visit. Write notes in a notebook or on a piece of paper. Review all the information you have collected before your next visit and write down your top three concerns. Writing down this information guarantees that your three concerns will be talked about during your visit.
  
  During your visit:
  Ask questions if you do not understand something. Don’t be afraid to speak up and share your point of view. Take notes during the visit. When the visit is over, look over your notes and restate to the doctor what you have understood. This gives the doctor a chance during the visit, to correct any information or repeat something that was missed.

• Fundraising Dinner, Dance
  Our other important event is the Fundraising Dinner, Dance to be held in the Stewards Lounge at the Borrowdale Race Track on Saturday 8^th November, 2003 at 7 p.m. to midnight. The tickets are valued at ZW$ 35 000 per person for the early birds booking and paying for a ticket before 10^th October, thereafter the tickets will be ZW 40 000 per person. Should any of our members, family and friends wish to book a ticket please contact our Vice Chairman, Don Mitchell on 011 717104 or any of the committee members. We already have some terrific prizes for our spot prizes raffles and auctions. Some of them include a ticket to London, courtesy of British Airways, 2 nights at The Hide, Hwange for 2 people, 2 nights at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge for 2, 3 days Avis car hire, a night for 2 at Meikles Hotel valued at US$ 375 with Dinner for 2 at La Fontein valued at ZW$ 100 000 to name but a few. Just a reminder, the funds for this function will go towards one of our main objectives and that is to have a permanent, manned base during the day and (hopefully) in the future during the evening.

Should I continue to visit?
Question from a reader in the September Alzheimer’s International Newsletter:

My wife has Alzheimer’s disease and is also now almost completely blind. When I visit her at the residential home, she calls my name loudly and almost screams when I leave. It has been suggested to me that my daily visit upset her and wears me out. Others say that I should continue to visit whenever I can to give her love and comfort by touching her face or stroking her hair. What should I do?

Answer: It is likely that your wife receives a lot of comfort from your visits, although it is obviously distressing for both of you when it is time to part. For someone with dementia, the world can be a confusing place as they lose their ability to make sense of where they are and what is going on around them. Your wife also has to cope with the extra confusion of having lost her sight. It must be quite frightening at times. She probably finds your presence reassuringly familiar and it is, perhaps, not surprising that she constantly calls out for you and becomes alarmed when you leave. When you are with her, try to reassure her that you are there. You could also ask someone she knows at the home to be present when it’s time for you to leave so that you can ‘hand over’ to another familiar person.

A fishy tale
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but that failed to stop the Daily Express from splashing the misleading headline ‘Alzheimer’s diet cure’ across its front page on 22^nd July, 2003.

The article was a response to new research carried out in America and published in the July issue of The Archives of Neurology. The research found that eating fish once a week (as well as oil-based salad dressings and nuts) may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, Dr. Susanne Sorenson stated ‘ Several studies have linked the regular eating of fish, seafood and nuts as part of a varied diet to lower the risk of all types of dementia … a life-long diet rich in fruit and vegetables and with as many different sources of protein as possible, including fish and seafood, reduces the chance of developing a number of debilitating conditions in later life, including Alzheimer’s disease’.

We hope you are enjoying the wonderful weather we are having and please take care of yourselves.
Committees of Harare and Bulawayo

Harare
P.O. Box CH 336, Chisipite, Harare
Telephone: 091 339670
Visit the Alzheimer's Society - Harare fact sheet

Bulawayo
P.O. Box 52, Bulawayo
Telephone: 091 339670 (09) 242696
Visit the Bulawayo Alzheimer Group Support (BAGS) fact sheet

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