Hyderabad: The case of Ms Sakina Khurshid is very disheartening. She is only 60 years old but is suffering from severe memory loss. Her six three elder brothers and sisters also them suffer from Alzheimer’s.
While the onset was slow and gradual in her siblings’ case, Sakina has been badly debilitated as the disease struck too early and very aggressively.
Her husband Saif Khurshid said, “After the death of my younger son, my wife went into severe depression. That phase of depression was very debilitating as it led to the onset of dementia. But we were never able to understand that.”
Mr Khurshid said that for the first three years, they didn’t seek any help thinking that she would become better. But later, the family found that the cooking gas, water heater etc. would be left on, Ms Sakina would forget to wash her hands, leading to infectious diseases, etc.
Meanwhile Ms Sakina’s siblings were all suffering from severe Alzheimer’s and were house bound and the family decided that she too should be diagnosed.
The results were positive and they appointed a full time day care. Her movements were now monitored but not restricted. Mr Khurshid said, “I had to take early retirement from my business to look after her. Depending only on caretakers was becoming very difficult and there were constant arguments between them.”
He is now helping her full time, by keeping her engaged and also ensuring that she continues her social interaction in familiar surroundings with people who understand her condition. He says, “I have three different locks on my door so that she can’t open and go out. This is a constant worry as there is an urge in her to just leave and go away which is not understood.”
Medication is given from time to time but what is most important as attention and care, he says. When that is satisfying, her mood swings are limited.And Mr Khurshid has found that no one can do it better than him though the rest of the family, their son, daughter-in-law, caretaker and also neighbours chip in time to time. But there is one person always with her.
