Page 11 - aruba-today-20220922

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local Thursday 22 sepTember 2022

Alzheimer’s Aruba Foundation:

“Life after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is very important”

This week, Alzheimer’s Aru-
ba Foundation held a press
conference to inform the
community about the be-
ginning of Alzheimer Teal
Ribbon Awareness. This
year marks 20 years of cel-
ebration.

This puts an emphasis on
awareness in the communi-
ty about the life of a person
after they receive an Al-
zheimer’s diagnosis. Melva
Croes-Yanez, president of
the foundation, explained
about the developments
they have been confront-
ing, and said that the Co-
vid-19 pandemic brought
with it a lot more work than
what they were expecting.

She also mentioned the
challenge brought on by
the uncertainty of a lot
of their clients who got in
touch with them during and
after the pandemic. Some-
times, people approach
them saying that they have
dementia or Alzheimer’s,
which she considers very
worrying because she no-
tices that people them-
selves don’t know what
is going on and are look-
ing for clarity, not knowing Croes-Yanez says that in She said that more atten- mistakes. The commu- small country, this is mag-
what comes next after they Aruba, once a person en- tion needs to be paid to nity needs to be alert and nified. “If we can all begin
receive their diagnosis. ters a hospice, “it seems like this topic, because older needs to receive informa- pooling our strength to-
“They can become more their life is over and that the persons – and sometimes tion. “If it happens that we gether, we don’t need to
depressive and more un- family can’t do anything younger – who are suffering find ourselves confronted have problems. In Aruba,
certain”, she says. more.” from these types of condi- with this, we know how we often there are profes-
“Some of them die within tions, oftentimes they don’t would want to be cared sionals that don’t want to
This is the reason why during a few months of arriving. know what is happening to for, because more than 50 work together with others,
this week they also want to These people suffer discrim- them. The people around million people around the or cannot, but our people
pay attention to a lecture ination for having a neuro- them don’t know what to world are suffering from a deserve better. Our people
and cinema night that they cognitive degenerative do either, and confusion neuro-cognitive disorder deserve better care, not
are organizing to help the condition like Alzheimer’s. can set, as she says. Many – which in the past was care which puts the safety
community to better un- Life after diagnosis is very times, abuse is also taking called dementia”, she said. of our people into question,
derstand what comes after important, and the com- place because people the safety of the patients of
a person receives a diag- munity needs to be aware lose patience, or the per- This week, they have a Alzheimer’s or other similar
nosis of Alzheimer’s. of this”, she says. son can be overly medi- schedule of activities dur- conditions, which often is
cated to keep them calm. ing which they will pub- insufficient and puts them
“That is not a quality of life. lish information regarding in danger”, she empha-
This is why the community worldwide data in order sizes.
needs to be made aware to inform the community
with valuable information, about the state of affairs. For this reason, she finds
because there is no cure Today, 22nd of September, that everyone over the
and it seems there will not they have a lecture at Sa- age of 65 needs to join
be a cure”, she said. vaneta Community Centre together and begin think-
at 7pm, and on Saturday at ing about their safety and
Croes-Yanez added that 7pm there will be a mass at security, so that they can
there is a tendency to refer Sagrado Curason in Sava- spend their last days with a
to everything as dementia neta. high quality of life, not like
or Alzheimer’s, which brings right now, where she says,
a lot of confusion, and can Croes-Yanez comment- when a person reaches a
have as a consequence ed that mental health is certain age, society treats
that the caretaker of the a problem all around the them like “they’re good for
patient can make certain world, and on Aruba, a nothing”.q