Ageing well, memory loss and dementia – caring for elders
Mental health in later life: loneliness, depression in elders, memory loss and dementia, and how families can care for older relatives.
Chapters on this topic
Chapter 31: Later-Life and Dementia-Related Care
Age is not a diagnosis of despair
- 31.1 The load of later life
- 31.2 Depression is not “normal ageing”
- 31.3 Dementia
- 31.4 What support looks like
- 31.5 A story from later life
- 31.6 The family myth
- Key points to remember
Stories from real life (6)
- Just Getting Old, Said the Family – Mr Hargreaves, seventy-two, had been a head teacher in Manchester. Since retiring two years ago and losing his wife last winter, he had stopped…
- Where Did I Put the Keys, Again? – Mrs Lakshmi, seventy-eight, lived with her son Arvind and his wife in Chennai. For the last year she had been repeating questions, leaving the…
- The Carer Who Forgot Herself – Grace, fifty-eight, had cared for her husband Tom in Cork since his dementia diagnosis three years earlier. He no longer knew the day, woke…
- The Empty Flat on Raja Street – Mr Fernandes, seventy, lived alone in Mumbai since his wife died and his children moved abroad. He ate lunch at a different tiffin place…
- When Dad Became Another Person – After two small strokes, Mr Okafor, seventy-six, was living in Lagos with his daughter, Chidinma. Over the last year he had become confused in…
- Ramesh – Ramesh, age 68, retired and lost his wife within two years. He became withdrawn, stopped temple and morning walks, and slept poorly. His children…
More topics
- What is mental health? A simple guide to the mind and who can help
- The brain, hormones and body chemistry behind your moods
- Emotions, anger and mood swings – understanding your feelings
- Stress – causes, symptoms and how to reduce stress at work and in exams
- Anxiety, panic attacks and fear – signs, causes and what helps
- Depression and low mood – signs, causes and the way back
- Trauma, grief and loss – healing at your own pace
- Children, teenagers and parents – mental health at home and school
- Sleep problems, food and daily routine for a healthy mind
- Counselling, therapy and psychiatric medicines explained
- Helping a loved one with mental illness – family and relationships
- Mental health crisis and suicide prevention – what to do
- The five senses, the five elements and the mind
- Bhagavad Gita, yoga and Indian wisdom for mental peace
- Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, drugs and gambling – signs and recovery
- Phone addiction, social media and screen time – digital well-being