DEMENTIA a social dilemma
I met one of my patient couple of days ago in my ward. She was quite elderly frail and thin lady. She
stayed with me in the ward for about 3-4 weeks. She was suffering from advanced progressive end stage dementia. Perhaps, since last couple of days she wanted to see her husband who was no more in this
world. She was calling her kids again and again but, despite of great effort she was unable to develop that bond with social worker. During the day her purposeless movements of hands made me realise that she might possibly be hallucinating. I kept on wondering what her mind might be trying to visualize. It was very sad to see someone so alone in her last days of life. It was very trembling to see someone struggling so much, they are alone, they are miserable and cannot look after themselves. Probably beside carers they need someone to sit with them, laugh with them, hold their hands and hug them. They are malnourished and dehydrated because their brain is telling their body not to eat or drink.
Eventually brain becomes rebellious towards body as well. Loyalty of body organs starts compromising.
This is elderly population of our society who worked hard for our future but we are unable to look after them.
Over last couple of centuries UK has emerged as most advanced civilizations of current times. UK is rich with history and has got most versatile multicultural society. UK is indeed famous for its strong social
structure, perhaps Britain’s realized quite earlier than rest of the world, the importance of morally and
ethically strong society. However, the criteria of right and wrong is very much relative because UK
accommodates people belonging from almost all the countries.
Britain’s has ruled almost 70% of the world and after going through a long transition period we see
strong economy, efficient political system, democracy and a multi-cultural fine society. Though, The UK opened its heart to accommodate people from around the world but we see it as a much planned migration to satisfy the needs of this society.
In all this progression, social, political and economic development GB might have missed something. We are enjoying industrialization and technological advancement at the cost of family structure. It might be right thing to say that in current times every one needs to work and contribute its part to make it
possible to emerge as a great nation and also be able to sustain it. But, human being is like a traveler in
this world and everyone plays its roles and eventually leaves the world. Therefore, only few names are engraved in the books of history.
There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025.
This will soar to 2 million by 2051. 225,000 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three
minutes. 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia. 70 per cent of people in care homes have
dementia or severe memory problems. There are over 40,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK. More than 25,000 people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK are affected, re-gardless of possible medical risk factors.
Almost all the religions and social structures across the world, advocate to look after your parents and family system. In the name of independence, privacy and satisfying our own personal needs and interests we have therefore decided to destroy the family system.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
The Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him alone, and behave beneficently towards par-
ents. If either or both of them should attain old age while you are alive, say not `ugh’ to them, nor
chide them, and speak kindly to them. Lower to them the wing of humility out of tenderness and pray:
Lord have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was little. (17:25)
Similarly GOD says in bible.
Ephesians 6:2
“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise)
1 Timothy 5:1
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers.
It is very important to live a life with dignity and in a welfare social system we try to take care of our
elderly population. We developed care homes, trained and hired social care workers, allocated budgets
to the local councils and NHS just because to make next generation able to work somewhere else and
then their kids do the same with their parents.
Marriage which used to be the important pillar of the society is strongly been discouraged by the
individuals and society because of obvious reasons. Loss of attachment, conscious and loyalty with
children and parents because of multiple partners and marriages is becoming a great dilemma for the
nation. We are not only working and money making machines; GOD has made us as human beings with
emotions, feelings and attachment with each other.
To conclude the topic, I think we all are suffering from some kind of dementia as we decide to cherry
pick our priorities and responsibilities. We want to close our eyes and not see the storm destroying our
society. In the nutshell, until we realize that moral and ethical upgradation is the real purpose of
humanity and rather all this materialistic world is to support and improve the quality of life for us. Not,
humans are made to maintain this quality of life. We need to look after our parents and it is our social
responsibility and duty to fulfill the needs of their dying bodies so that they don’t be the victim of
miserable death caused by dementia.
We need to fight both sides of dementia to create peaceful and loving society.
Reference: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20027/news_and_media/541/facts_for_the_media
Reference: QURAN (17:25)
Reference Bible : Ephesians 6:2, 1 Timothy 5:1
