If you are in the mental health sphere in Goa and you have not heard of the COOJ (Cause of Our Joy) Mental Health Foundation, then you have been living under a rock.
The charitable trust, which has Dr Peter Castelino and Theresa Trinidad as its founders, has achieved much in the area of mental health, not only rehabilitating those with serious mental health issues but developing and enforcing a suicide prevention programme, and having various awareness drives to enlighten the public and destigmatise mental illness.
COOJ has a Senior Therapy Center that operates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm. “We follow a structured programme that incorporates various evidence-based therapeutic activities addressing cognitive, behavioural and social aspects of the life of a senior citizen,” says Dayle Fonseca, the coordinator of the Dementia Program.
Each client receives individual attention with the program being designed around his or her needs. There are different activities that the clients participate in, such as physical exercises; memory activities; and expressive therapies like music, art, dance movement and role plays.
There is also recreational therapy. Games and puzzles help work on specific cognitive deficits and provide camaraderie and entertainment for individuals in their golden years. The hybrid programme is also available online to clients that cannot attend in person.
“We recognise the role of caregiver burden. In the treatment of dementia, our programmes also target this aspect,” explains Dayle. This is why COOJ has organised the online Dementia Caregiver Weekend Training Course to make the process more effective.
The course will take place on May 27 from 3 pm to 7 pm and May 28 from 10 am to 5 pm. The course will cover topics like brain and behaviour; geriatric mental health issues, understanding dementia and its types; managing symptoms and difficult behaviour; burnout and strategies for self-care.
These topics will be put forward through presentations, lectures, discussions, videos and role play. Resource persons include Dr Peter Castelino; Dayle Fonseca, the Dementia Program coordinator; and Aldela Fernandes, the assistant coordinator for the Dementia Program.
This course carries special significance in Goa and India as 7.4 per cent of the population above 60 years of age has dementia. Dayle tells us, “About 8.8 million above the age of 60 live with it. 1 in every 16 households with a senior has somebody with the disease.” According to data from 2008, of a total population of 1347668 in Goa, 2125 were diagnosed with dementia.
A neurodegenerative disease that usually occurs in those above 60 years of age, dementia can affect younger individuals, but the number is much smaller. “Contrary to popular belief, dementia not only affects memory but also cognitive functions like language, attention, perception and visuospatial abilities. Often these lead to behavioural problems and changes in personality,” Dayle informs us.
People with dementia will suffer from confusion, memory loss and poor judgment; they will wander and get lost in familiar spaces; they have difficulty speaking, understanding and expressing thoughts; and find performing basic routine activities like feeding, dressing and hygiene difficult.
Besides Alzheimer’s, which is the most common type of dementia, we have as well vascular, Lewy body and frontotemporal.
Viral infections like HIV, toxins, alcohol, prescription drugs, hormonal changes, head injuries, tumors and neurological diseases like Parkinson’s are all contributing factors in causing dementia.
Speaking on techniques to manage dementia symptoms, Dayle explains, “Among the various techniques, the key to managing dementia is empathy and creativity in approaching the symptoms since there is no one-stop solution to the array of problems associated with the illness. Communicating to them in a respectful way and approaching them with dignity and respect, giving them the right to choose and decide by offering simple choices, go a long way in reducing behavioural problems.”
Labelling items with pictures and text, applying safety measures such as switching off the gas cylinder when not in use, using phone trackers, etc, are some tangible ways one can use to cope with dementia.
Caregivers are vital to supporting people with dementia. But they are human too and can suffer from burnout. Therefore, coming up with healthy coping approaches and taking a break when needed are essential to the caregivers’ own mental and physical well-being.
Creating a network where caregivers can share responsibilities with other members of the community is one way, and ensuring that time is set aside for self-care, which is often ignored, is another.
Dayle says, “Empowering caregivers with knowledge as well as reducing their burden is one of the cornerstones of managing people with dementia, and therefore, keeping this in mind, this weekend course has been designed. Right from understanding the brain and behaviour to the pathological changes in the brain leading to dementia to the signs and symptoms and management, the course promises to be holistic in nature.”
The Dementia Caregiver Weekend Training Course will address pharmacological treatment as well as managing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of the disease. A crucial objective is to emphasise the integral role of caregivers and demonstrate techniques to aid supportive care in this enormously taxing and challenging illness.
Caregivers need to be reassured that they are not alone and the burden they bear must be acknowledged. They sacrificially play multiple roles with limited resources, and this needs to be underscored. This acknowledgement by itself plays a huge role in bringing mental and emotional relief.
Endorsing the importance of self-care and the sharing of responsibilities as fundamental components in looking after dementia patients, which will support both caregiver and patient, is what the Dementia Caregiver Weekend Training Course is all about in a nutshell.
There is an early bird price of Rs 800 for those who register before or on May 25, 2023. After May 25, the fee will be Rs 1200. Please contact +91 9822562522 for registration and other details as soon as possible because seats are limited.
DETAILS
WHAT: Dementia Caregiver Weekend Training Course
WHERE: Online
WHEN: May 27 from 3 pm to 7 pm and May 28 from 10 am to 5 pm
FEE: Rs 800 (early bird, before May 26), ₹1200 (after May 25)
CONTACT: +91 9822562522