2024-03-01 08:30:00
Elias is sitting in the living room with his grandfather. It’s raining outside, the perfect weather to sit together and play memory. This is a lot of fun for Elias, he just won against Grandpa yesterday. But he doesn’t remember it anymore. Grandson Elias doesn’t care, he just explains the rules again. That’s okay, because when someone gets old, sometimes they forget things. Especially if, like grandpa, he has dementia.
To understand what goes on in the head when people have dementia, KiWi spoke to Dr. Ralf Dittrich spoke. He is a neurologist, which is a “head doctor”. “The brain is there for thinking and moving. If something is disturbed, I come into play,” he explains.
Head slows down with age
Dementia is a disease that older people get – usually from the age of 75. As people get older, their minds generally become slower. That’s completely normal, says Doctor Dittrich. “If someone has dementia, their thinking performance declines even more quickly,” says the expert. “The brain is like a computer. It has storage space where all the memories are. In dementia, the communication between the nerve cells, the memories, is disturbed.”
Doctor Ralf Dittrich is a neurologist, “head doctor”, and knows a lot about dementia. Photo: Niels Stensen Clinics
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This happens in the brain
And why is communication no longer working? This is because the nerve cells actually break down waste products in the brain. This doesn’t work as well as you get older, especially when you have dementia. “It’s like a city. If the garbage isn’t taken away, the streets will eventually be blocked. Then the cars can no longer get through,” explains Doctor Dittrich.
The old memories were already there before the problem and are therefore well saved. But new memories no longer come through the “trash”. That’s why grandpa with dementia often still remembers his childhood, but could no longer say how old you are, for example. Or he no longer remembers things from the last week.
More information:
Dementia book tip
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Book: “A Garden Grows on My Back”
Grandpa is a bit out of step, says Fido. Grandpa has dementia, says mom. In any case, Fido’s grandpa messes up a lot of things. So that he doesn’t forget everything, Fido and his grandpa write lists of great things: jumping barefoot in puddles and watching seniors on the bathing lawn. Fido and his grandpa continue to explore the world together and experience many beautiful moments.
Picus Verlag 2016, by Birgit Unterholzer, 17 euros
Remember and play together
The family often only notices that grandpa or grandma has dementia when everyday things no longer work. “The older someone gets, the more stressful new situations are. People with dementia can no longer deal with it and are overwhelmed,” says the doctor.
You can help your grandpa or grandma by reminiscing with them. Tell them again about the trip they forgot. “People with dementia like to do things that they used to like to do,” says the expert. If your grandpa has always loved going for walks, he will still do so even with dementia. The same goes for the music he liked to listen to, favorite games and his favorite food.
Here’s how you can help your grandpa with dementia
Unfortunately, Grandpa can no longer get well. Dementia is not curable. “Children continue to develop, but with people with dementia it’s the other way around – they regress,” says Doctor Dittrich. But you can support Grandpa if you are friendly and help him. Expert Dittrich says:
“Just as your grandparents helped you, you can now give back as a grandchild. You can talk to them nicely, play with them and treat them lovingly.”
Drink a lot
You will also help your grandparents if you remind them to drink plenty of fluids. It doesn’t cure them, but it’s healthy and helps with thinking. Water is good, but so is tea or juice.
A glass of water is good because drinking helps with thinking. Symbolic photo: Imago/Zoonar II
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Embarrassing moments
What’s not so good is that people with dementia sometimes no longer know what is appropriate. For example, they fart loudly on the bus or pick their nose in the pedestrian zone. That can be really embarrassing. It’s okay if you find Grandpa stressful or are angry with him.
“Then you can think to yourself: This is the illness and not Grandpa himself,” advises Doctor Dittrich. And don’t worry: dementia is not contagious – so you can make the most of your time with your sick grandparents up close.
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