和年苑，北京协和医院老年医学科公众号，传递老年医学的价值和声音

在这里，了解当代老年医学

转载自CGTN报道，已获得授权。

Familieswith AD patients needmoresupport

When seniors are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, it’s a lifechanging experience both for the sufferer and their families. The illness is the most common type of dementia… And with no cure, usually gets progressively worse over time. Many people forced to take care of elderly relatives with Alzheimer’s struggle to balance caregiving with their own lives. Reporter Lu Sirui talks to two Chinese families to learn more about how they cope.

Story 1

Chen Hui and hermother

-Chen Hui’s mother:

-I'm so foolishnow. I don’t know how I became like this.

-Chen Hui:

-No, you're notfoolishYou just did not sleep well last night, mom. I'll be there in a minute.

(Talking to the reporter：So wemake sure that shefeelsgood about herself all the time; we can't let her feel reallyfoolish. It would be terrible if she gave up on herself.)

Calls like this are a constant challenge for Chen Hui, who has to deal with her mother’sAlzheimer’s disease.

Today, Chen has to bring her a new lock, because the older woman suspects people have been stealing from her -- a typical symptom shared by many patients.

Chen says facing a disease with no cure, family members are suffering no less than the patients themselves.

She’s even developed the habit of recording all her calls from her mother and then carefully listening to them again later, to give her better support.

But these efforts have not prevented her mother's condition from deteriorating.There are moments of enormous stress, such as when her mother got lost for seven hoursaround outsideher apartment due to her impaired cognitive skills.

Daughter of Alzheimer’s patient

"As I walked along, suddenly thetears just burst out, uncontrollably. I feltthatmy lifehad sunk intosuch ahelplessstate.I've alwaysworkedhard,beenvery positive, trying my best to keep her from getting sick."

"I just felt like there was no end to this, life was very painful. Truly, family members of Alzheimer's patients go through this desperate process.”

KANG LIN

Chair of Geriatric Department

Peking Union Medical College Hospital

"No matter how much effort you put in, this illness just keeps getting worse and there’s no reverse. The psychological impact it has on people is significant. It also leads tothesocial isolation of family members."

In China, about 15 million people aged 60 and above have dementia, with 10-million of them suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.Many family members of Alzheimer’s patients also suffer from depression due to their lack of hope for treatment.

Story 2

Xiao Yue and her mother

The situation is achallenge to China’s tradition ofplacing the full load of parental care on individuals.At first,Xiao Yue even quit his job to take care of his mother.

-“She's your own mother, after all. She raised you, provided for you and sent you to school without complainingfor over 20 years. It's only been eight years for you—what's there to complain about?”

Butlike many other patients, Xiao’s mother canbe very sweetone moment, and hostile the next.Finally, such unpredictable moodsexhausts Xiao’s patience andtestshis filial piety.After eight years, a care center for seniors was not an easy choice but the only one left for Xiao.

-“It's just not fair, I'm so good to her. How could she treat me like this?"

-"At that time, I just thought, 'Ah, have a drink,go up to the top of the building.Take one stepdownand it's all over.'That would be pretty good, too.But then I thought, 'No, I can't do that, there are still so many things left unfinished.'"

SONG XIANHUA

Director

PuleYuan Nursing Home

"When at least half or more of the family members come here, they're quite anxious. Firstly, they don't yet trust us very much. Also, because they've been affected by the emotions and unusual behavior of the elderly for a long time, their own anxiety is heavy."

KANG LIN

Chair of Geriatric Department

Peking Union Medical College Hospital

“The most important thing is to “give them a break.” If there could be even temporary care, like day-care,It would allow them torelievesome of the mental pressure.”

In just over 10 years, China’s elderly population aged 60 and above is expected to reach 400-million, nearly one-third of the total population. Taking care of seniors will be a major issue facing younger generations.

The country has beenexpandingits capacity for senior care, such as building more senior care centers and improve education about nursing industry.

The family says more support and empathy is needed so that they are not facing this journey alone.

LU Sirui, CGTN, BEIJING.

本期编辑：周雅茹 路菲

本期审校：康琳

-- 北京协和医院老年医学科及其团队--

老年综合征｜慢性病管理｜长期照料模式构建｜多学科团队｜院内急性医疗

协和-霍普金斯老年医学论坛｜协和老年综合评估进阶培训｜中国医学论坛报协和老年医学专栏｜老年医学速查手册｜老年医学临床实践｜老年友善医院｜远程医疗