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Go back to your roots

We discourage the use of our mother tongue. But using your native language has health benefits, especially for Alzheimer’s patients.
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

It feels that the Hindi proverb, ‘ghar ki murgi, daal barabar’ fits perfectly when someone attempts to use their local dialect.

Have you ever tried speaking in your mother tongue in public? Do you cringe when a fellow traveller speaks in theirghar ki bhasha? Why do parents ask their kids to speak in Hindi or English when they are dining outside?

The warmth brought in by speaking in the mother tongue is suddenly lost in the bevy of so-called manners. On a recent episode of the Minute To Win It game, a contestant said it was weird hearing her mother talk to the host in English because the family always used their native language, French, for daily conversations. It made me think of talking to my mother in Marwari and how when she uses Hindi, I immediately feel that something does not sound right.

HindiMother tongue or native language stands for the first language learnt at home in childhood. It lends a cultural identity to an individual and shapes his accent and approach to varied thoughts. In a world as diverse as ours, the native language binds communities in harmony. Living in a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai has its perks – you are aware of Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi and many other languages. But it is depressing to see that most parents today prefer speaking English even at home.

While taking classes in languages like French, Spanish and German is a delight, speaking with your toddler in anything but English is frowned upon. Bilingualism or speaking two languages fluently nowhere includes the learning of Indian languages. While one may proudly flaunt the French merci, getting a shukriya in Hindi is difficult.

Research shows that bilingual children have a better ability to focus on a task while tuning out distractions. Also, bilingualism may delay the onset of age-related dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease in adults. So increase your brain power and become more perceptive by talking with your loved ones in your native language. Forget the ‘p’ language and speak in Sindhi, Urdu, Telugu, Kannada with your child. The grasping power of a child is higher and hence, learning native words will be a cake walk once you start speaking.  In a small way, do your bit to keep the language alive or like the dodo, this too shall be extinct.

German author Elias Canetti, who won the 1981 Nobel Prize in Literature said, “There is no such thing as an ugly language. Today I hear every language as if it were the only one, and when I hear of one that is dying, it overwhelms me as though it were the death of the Earth.”

The quote reminds me of the Busuu language from Cameroon. As of 2005, only three speakers of the language were alive. A website called ‘Save Busuu’ was started in a bid to take its heritage forward. It is time that we take pride in our local language and use it as often as possible. When PM Narendra Modi says ‘Look East!’ then let us emulate them too. Countries like China and Japan have built their economies by preserving their language and maintaining its importance.

Back home, the Kerala government has started the Malayalam Mission in the city, wherein they teach the Malayali language for free to non-resident Malayalis. The natives are not only happy but are making the most of this opportunity as it will help them get past bus signboards in Kerala.

As Indians, we need to conserve our beautiful languages and their literature. If each of us takes pride in our mother tongue, then not only does the language survive, but also our brain benefits. Every Mumbaikar will agree that Government offices work smoothly for the person who knows his Marathi. Papers get processed at a faster speed, all because you are one of them i.e. the local. Sure, that’s biased, but it shows how language can open doors.

As British writer and critic Giles Lytton Strachey said, “Perhaps of all the creations of man, language is the most astonishing.” What, then, stops us from amusing ourselves and immersing in the etymology of cohesiveness, bonding and intimacy via our native language?

(Pictures courtesy www.sevamandir.org, www.indoamerican-news.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

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Watch: ‘Astu – So Be It’

A Marathi film with English subtitles, it deals with the grim issues of Alzheimer’s, memory loss and lack of identity.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

As part of our ongoing campaign to observe all of September 2014 as the Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we are glad to feature this film screening that will take place tonight at the NCPA.

Astu posterThe film, Astu, is a Marathi film with English subtitles. It tells the story of Mr Shastri, or Appa, a retired Sanskrit professor, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, and who goes missing while travelling with his daughter. His daughter, Ira, and her doctor husband Madhav, are trying to cope with Appa’s decaying memory. When he disappears, Ira is a in panic and trapped in the chain of Appa’s memory, while Appa is living his day moment-to-moment with a tramp couple Anta and Channama and their elephant Laxmi. How will the two parallel tracks meet?

Featuring a critically-acclaimed performance by Dr Mohan Agashe and supported by actors Iravati Harshe, Milind Soman and Amruta Subhash, the film is directed by the award-winning director duo Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar.

Head to the NCPA this evening at 6.30 pm. Admission is on a first-come-first-served basis. NCPA members will get preferential seating till 6.20 pm.

The Metrognome is observing an Alzheimer’s Awareness Month all through September 2014. World Alzheimer’s Day is on September 21 every year. If you have Alzheimer’s related anecdotes, tips, events or general observations to share, write to editor@themetrognome.in and we will publish your views in this space.

(Pictures courtesy www.iffk.in, entertainmentsandhira.wordpress.com)

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Dementia: How it strikes and whom

We’re observing Alzheimer’s Awareness Month all of September 2014, and kickstarting the series with basic information on dementia and its effects.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.com

We at The Metrognome have always supported the causes of elders in society. Last year, we observed all of September 2013 as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. This year, too, we are kickstarting the Alzheimer’s Awareness campaign with a few nuggets of information about dementia, its effects and living with it.

The Alzheimer’s Disease International lists these facts about dementia:

– Dementia is a term used to describe different brain disorders that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion.

– Early symptoms of dementia can include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language and changes in personality.

– Dementia knows no social, economic, or ethnic boundaries.

– Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Other causes include vascular disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and fronto-temporal dementia.

– There are currently estimated to be 44 million people worldwide living with dementia. The number of people affected is set to rise to over 135 million by 2050.

– There is one new case of dementia worldwide every four seconds.

– The worldwide costs of dementia exceeded 1 per cent of global GDP in 2010, at US$604 billion. As a result, if dementia care were a country, it would be the world’s 18th largest economy. If it were a company, it would be the world’s largest by annual revenue exceeding Wal-Mart (US$414 billion) and Exxon Mobil (US$311 billion).

– Dementia is often hidden away, not spoken about, or ignored at a time when the person living with dementia and their family carers are most in need of support within their families, friendship groups and communities.

– The social stigma is the consequence of a lack of knowledge about dementia and it can have numerous long- and short-term effects, including:

  • Dehumanisation of the person with dementia
  • Strain within families and friendships
  • A lack of sufficient care for people with dementia and their carers
  • A lower rate of diagnosis of dementia
  • Delayed diagnosis and support

– The stigmatisation of dementia is a global problem and it is clear that the less we talk about dementia, the more the stigma will grow. This World Alzheimer’s Month we encourage you to find out more and play your part in reducing the stigma and improving the lives of people with dementia and their carers in your community.

We welcome your views, suggestions and articles on Alzheimer’s, dementia, caregiving, and indeed, the gamut of ageing. Do send us relevant content about events, news and personal anecdotes about Alzheimer’s to editor@themetrognome.in, and we will publish it in this space.

 (Pictures courtesy www.2gb.com)

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‘Come out and Play’ is eagerly anticipated

The Metrognome’s flagship event in Mumbai is seeing some good media coverage and increasing public interest. Do join the fun!
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Metrognome’s first major event in Mumbai, ‘Come out and Play‘ is seeing a lot of interest among Mumbaikars. Registrations are on in full swing – in the first week since registrations opened, over 100 people signed up!

‘Come out and Play’ is set to be Mumbai’s first family games event that is aimed at both recreation and awareness – Mumbai is fast losing its open spaces to either encroachment or to private entities via the BMC’s contentious Caretaker Policy. In the light of this, Mumbaikars need to keep the remaining open spaces reasonably occupied at all times, and the best way to do this is by playing on the city’s open grounds.

To this end, and to kickstart a sustained campaign for the city’s open spaces in fun ways, The Metrognome and I-deators Events are jointly hosting a fun day of games where entire families will step out of their homes to play the games of our childhood – lagori, langdi and sack race, among others.

Says Samina Akhtar, who has signed up with her family (in pic above, practicing for ‘Lemon and spoon race’) of 22 for the event on June 1, 2014, “I am thrilled at the idea of getting the chance to play all the galli games of my childhood – it has been years since I played langdi or lemon-and-spoon race. More than the children in my family, all of us adults are extremely excited and are waiting eagerly for June 1.”

Interestingly, the concept of ‘family’ has been redefined for us during the registration process – several singletons have signed up with their friends. However, people continue to respond warmly to the idea that they can have a fun family outing at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, for free, while reliving their own childhood.

You and your family are warmly invited to be a part of ‘Come out and Play 2014’, Mumbai’s first family games event at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, June 1, 2014, 9 am onward. Register for free at comeoutandplay2014@gmail.com. Hurry! 

(Picture courtesy Urvashi Seth Ranga)

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Losing a grandmother to ‘that’ disease

Rachel Tseng describes the agony and helplessness of watching a beloved relative succumb to the ravages of Alzheimer’s Disorder (AD).

For most people Kolkata is a place synonymous to rasagollas and puchkas but for me it is a place reminiscent of my childhood vacations spent with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, their grandparents and the whole jing-bang of distant relatives and family friends.

Once during a head count, I was included as a grandchild by my cousin brother’s paternal grandmother. Since I was staying over at my cousin’s home, his grandmother very generously christened me as one of her grandchildren. Predictable as it sounds, I grew very fond of her and was completely drawn to her very generous and loving personality.

alzheimer's careOver the years during every visit to Kolkata I would actually look forward to meeting her. But on one particular visit, she failed to recognise me and it was then that my cousins told me that she was suffering from Alzheimer’s. I knew about Alzheimer’s, the symptoms and what it does to you but it was the first time in my life that the Alzheimer disease struck someone I knew and admired. It was a heart wrenching experience watching her lose herself to the disease. There was nothing that we could do except be patient and be there for her.

The pain that she went through is something that nobody can comprehend. She rarely had memory of her present. Sometimes she had a perfect memory of her childhood and would wonder what she is doing amongst strangers who were actually her children and grandchildren. She would cry out like a child in distress and demand to be taken back to her childhood home, recounting her maiden address and the identity of her parents. In response, we pacified her like a child, promising to take her to her parents in the hope that she would snap out of it soon.

On another occasion, she refused to recognise her grandchildren and even called them untouchables and thieves. She would hide anything and everything, including food, in cupboards and draws in the fear that ‘the thieves’ who had invaded her home would steal her belongings.

Once she even ran away from home, hopped into a cycle-rickshaw and asked the driver to take her to her son’s home in America. The rickshaw driver was initially shocked and thought that he probably hadn’t understood the address and requested her to give directions. As soon as he started off, my uncle who was in his car spotted her sitting in the open cycle rickshaw like a queen on her throne. My uncle immediately intervened, explained about her condition to the rickshaw driver and drove her home, much to her annoyance.

During the last few days of my stay in Kolkata, one afternoon she came up to me, called me by my name and commented on how I had grown to be a replica of my mother. We spoke alzheimer's memory gapsabout my cousins and she even expressed her love for her daughter-in-law (who is my aunt) and appreciated everything that the family had done for her. She spoke in the most normal way, just like the way she spoke to me during my earlier visits and before Alzheimer’s.

At that moment, although she was in the present and everything she said made perfect sense, I could see it in her eyes that she had no idea of what she had been suffering from and how it had worn her out.

This went on for about 12 years before she faced her end.

The degree of pain and suffering an Alzheimer’s patient goes through is something I am unable to understand or express. But one thing for sure, the family of an Alzheimer’s patient suffers in silence with immense grief and anguish. It takes a lot of patience and endless love to live with and care for a family member with Alzheimer’s.

This is the last of the series of articles that we featured on Alzheimer’s awareness as part of our campaign to focus the spotlight on dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, we are committed to the cause and welcome news of new developments in the field of elder care and positive ageing. If you have something to share, do write to us at editor@themetrognome.in or tweet to us @MetrognomeIndia.

(Pictures courtesy trialx.com, io9.com, www.smallfootprintfamily.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

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Snapshots: Posters on Alzheimer’s

Students of SVT College of Home Science displayed interesting posters explaining how Alzheimer’s happens and what to do about it.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Students of SVT College of Home Science, SNDT University put up an array of informative posters about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, how it affects the sufferer and how to deal with it at an event on Saturday. The event, a sensitisation seminar, was titled ‘Understanding and respective individuals with Alzheimer’s’ and was held in association with Lions Club of JB Nagar, Andheri, our campaign partners Silver Innings Foundation and ARDSI Greater Mumbai Chapter. It was held yesterday at SNDT University, Juhu campus.

A total of 150 people participated. These included students, senior citizens and family caregivers. Hearteningly, 90 per cent were youth. As part of the event, five skits were performed and there was a poster exhibition, which explained the various stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and the Dos and don’ts to be followed by caregivers as part of their daily interactions with those afflicted. See a few of the posters below:

What causes Alzheimers’:

Age (those at risk are people over 65 years old. More than 50 per cent of those afflicted are over 85 years old), family history, vascular diseases (high BP, high cholesterol), stroke, faulty lifestyle, obesity, habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, chewing tobacco, drinking excess coffee, those suffering a head injury, toxins such as aluminium, infections and viruses, deficiency of Vitamin A, C, E, B6, B12, carotenoids, zinc, selenium and being socially inactive.

Symptoms:

Repeating statements over and over again; misplacing items; having trouble recalling familiar names or familiar objects; getting lost on familiar routes; personality changes; losing interest in things previously enjoyed; difficulty performing tasks that take some thought but which used to come easily (like balancing a checkbook, playing complex games such as bridge and learning new information or routines).

Understanding Alzheimer’s:

– Alzheimer’s can cause a person to show behaviour that they normally wouldn’t. This means that you, as a caregiver, will be faced with many challenges as you try to give your the best care that you can.

– Some of the challenges that you may face include physical aggression, verbal aggression, mood swings, wandering, repetition of words, and combativeness.

– All of these changes in behaviour can lead to a great deal of tension and frustrations for both you and your patient. The most important thing that you need to remember is that your Alzheimer’s parent isn’t behaving this way on purpose. Their behaviour is simply the result of their disease so you need to avoid analysing the situation and looking for solutions when there are none.

What you can do:

– Make them as independent as possible.

– Give them medicines on time.

– Develop proper timetable for daily chores.

– Keep the house clean and maintain hygiene.

– Educate your neighbours and relatives.

– Don’t be rigid, be flexible with rules and behavioural changes.

– Share responsibility of care taking or appoint a professional caretaker.

– See that the professional caretakers are not given other household work.

– Avoid sharp edges in the house.

– Install a good security system for the house.

– Give the sufferer an ID card or a monitoring device.

– Don’t change their living environment

– Respect them.

(Pictures courtesy Sailesh Mishra, Silver Innings)
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