By ALESHA CAPONE
CHRISTINE Kelly knows the importance of seeking early medical help when a parent starts showing possible signs of dementia.
Along with her 89-year-old father Bernie, Ms Kelly helps care for her mother Joan, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Ms Kelly lives in Kealba and her parents live in a Taylors Lakes retirement village.
Ms Kelly described her father as Joan’s primary carer.
“Dad has been amazing. He has given her heaps of confidence and he’s so patient with her,” she said.
“I help out a lot with driving to and from appointments and things like that.”
Ms Kelly said Western Health has been “fantastic” in helping out the family since her mother, 86, was diagnosed with dementia.
“I think the earliest you can recognise it, go to the doctor to get help to get better,” Ms Kelly said.
“As scary as that first trip to the doctor might seem, I think it would be far scarier not to be diagnosed.”
Ms Kelly said a Western Health employee visited her parents and assessed Joan as needing lower-level residential care.
The health provider also organised for the Royal District Nursing Service to visit her parents, advised them to join Alzheimer’s Australia and recommended a walking frame for her mother’s bursitis.
Ms Kelly said Aricept tablets have also helped her mother “improve out of sight” since first being diagnosed.
“Mum can recognise all of us, even her great grandchildren – she might get their names mixed up, but she can recognise all of them,” Ms Kelly said.
While early on-set dementia can differ in each dementia patient, Ms Kelly said “little things” could contribute to them losing confidence.
“For me, I think the more awareness that is raised, the more help they will get,” Ms Kelly said.
“Mum and Dad are just so excited when they hear of any breakthrough with Alzheimer’s research – they feel the more out there it is, the more help there will be.”
