Early detection and greater support for people living with dementia are key to managing the condition, health experts have said, as families in Bulawayo called for greater awareness and understanding of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Health expert Dr Kundai Guvheya said families should seek medical assistance as soon as they noticed symptoms, while caregivers needed to exercise patience and kindness when looking after people living with dementia.
“Dementia is a condition and it usually affects people that are 60 years of age and beyond. It causes them to forget things,” he said.
Although there is currently no cure for dementia, Guvheya said the condition could be managed and some measures could help reduce the risk or delay its onset.
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“One important step is exercising. Regular exercises can help one to reduce chances of getting dementia,” he said.
He also said simple changes at home, such as labelling toilet doors and other household items, could help people living with dementia navigate their surroundings.
“It is quite difficult to look after people with dementia, but they need patience and kindness,” he said.
Guvheya warned that some elderly people living with dementia were at risk of abuse, particularly when caregivers became overwhelmed or when those around them did not understand the condition.
His remarks came as the Dementia Association of Zimbabwe (DAZ) organised a march in Bulawayo on Saturday to commemorate World Alzheimer’s Day.
The event was aimed at raising awareness about dementia, challenging stigma and encouraging families to seek medical assistance when symptoms begin to emerge.
DAZ founder Emelia Gubba said the organisation was established in 2018 after her family struggled to understand and care for her mother, who had developed dementia.
“My mother developed dementia some years ago and we had no idea how to deal with it. But with time we started learning more about the condition,” Gubba said.
“After a while we realised that if we had struggled that much in getting to understand the condition, how many other people out there were facing similar problems?”
Gubba said DAZ now supports families affected by dementia through counselling, home visits and awareness campaigns.
“We offer different kinds of services, such as counselling, home visits for people with dementia, education awareness campaigns on how to care for people living with the condition, advocating for early detection and treatment among others,” she said.
Bulawayo proportional representation councillor Mercy Furanayi, who was standing in for the mayor, said dementia should be treated as a societal issue affecting individuals, families and communities, rather than solely as a medical condition.
“Through this walk, we made a statement that we need to be kind to our residents and value our elderly,” Furanayi said.
She said stigma and a lack of understanding often resulted in families delaying professional help or hiding the condition.
“One of the key messages of this year’s global campaign is that the earlier you know, the more you can do,” she said.
Furanayi called for greater support and inclusion for people living with dementia and their caregivers, saying they should not be left to face the condition alone.
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