President of the Barbados Alzheimer’s Association, Pamelia Brereton speaking with local Medical Consultant Dr. Ambrose Ramsay.
It is high time for a large and meticulous study to be done into dementia and Alzheimer’s disease sufferers, not only in the Caribbean, but here in Barbados.
This was the message from President of the Barbados Alzheimer’s Association, Pamelia Brereton, during the organisation’s recently held Health Extravaganza at Solidarity House.
According to Brereton, dementia is rarely discussed amongst the wider population, so true numbers of the prevalence of the disease is hard to come by.
“Sadly, it is something we don’t talk about too often. I think people tend to be afraid to even talk about it because of the type of disease it is, so persons are often afraid. We are familiar with other diseases around us such as cancers, diabetes and others, but when it comes to dementia, no one wants to talk about it, which in turn makes it extremely difficult for us to get to those persons who desperately need to help,” she lamented.
It is for this reason Brereton believes that research must be implemented to reveal the true numbers of the disease on the island. However, support for such a study is understandably a major undertaking.
“There has been no notable research done here which covers Alzheimer's and dementia, and it has been a great concern to me. We have a tendency to look at overseas societies and follow everything that they do. There are a lot of countries who are into research such as Canada, the United States and many members of Europe. These countries recommend certain natural remedies like blueberries to help minimise the likelihood of being diagnosed with the disease.
“However, we in the Caribbean [have] lots of local fruits and herbs which we have no idea what they can do for us in terms of having similar health effects. The only way we will know is if a comprehensive study into dementia is conducted. We know full well such research will be costly and will require a large group of persons to conduct the work, but we can no longer ignore the effect this disease has on members of our society,” Brereton said.
Consultant at the St Michael District Hospital, Dr. Ambrose Ramsay, also mirrored similar sentiments during his visit to the extravaganza.
“The foundation into the care for these patients is important; it will require better education at all levels from the caregiver at home, right through to the health professionals. Even though we are taught about dementia in our medical schools, it’s still vastly different for when you have to see and experience it firsthand from persons who have to live with it, or their family members who assist them,” he noted.