By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

DEMENTIA cases in The Bahamas are expected to surge by 226 percent by 2050, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International.

This highlights the need for a comprehensive national strategy to address the issue, according to Wence Martin, director of the Bahamas Alzheimer’s Association, who highlighted the situation during his guest appearance at the Rotary Club’s Nassau Yacht Club meeting on Friday. 

He emphasised that the current estimate of 2,000 people living with dementia in The Bahamas is likely conservative, as many cases remain undiagnosed due to social stigma and limited awareness.

He shared memories of his aunt, who he described as a highly educated woman pursuing a doctorate degree, when she was diagnosed with dementia at 78.

He said she was a former principal and played ten musical instruments,.

“She was an independent woman, so you can imagine having to now take care of her,” he recalled. “Because she lived in another country, I had to bring her back to The Bahamas because I was living in another country as well, and bringing her back to The Bahamas, she was not aware of her surroundings, and then she looked at me and said, ‘Who are you?’”

The impact of dementia extends beyond the people diagnosed, affecting families and caregivers, according to Mr Martin, who described the emotional and financial toll caregivers bear, noting that they often neglect their own health while tending to loved ones. 

He recounted the challenges of caring for his aunt, whose moments of lucidity laid bare her dwindling will to live.

“As her mental skills and faculties began to decline, she became more irritable, not wanting anyone to touch her, and started asking for her mother, who had passed on six years earlier,” he recalled.

“She said to me in a lucid moment that she didn’t want to live because she doesn’t know who she is and there’s no point in being alive.”

Mr Martin also shared his experience being beside his wife and her battle with cognitive decline, a condition that began manifesting in her 40s, years after her long struggle with cancer. 

“She, in her 40s, started to say, ‘Who are you?’” Mr Martin recounted. “This is not a disease for the 70- or 80-year-old, okay, just to dispel that myth.”

“At the time, she assisted me with being a caregiver for my aunt. And of course, my aunt died 2000, and my wife died a few months after.”

According to Mr Martin, The Bahamas’ healthcare infrastructure is currently ill-equipped to manage the anticipated surge in dementia cases. 

He highlighted the shortage of specialists and facilities capable of addressing the complex needs of dementia patients. To address this growing crisis, Mr Martin advocates for the establishment of a National Dementia Strategy, which would include the creation of a dementia registry and the development of specialised care facilities.

Community involvement is pivotal in addressing the dementia crisis, according to Mr Martin.

Mr Martin emphasised the importance of supporting affected families through fundraising efforts, active advocacy, and direct assistance.

“Right now, we have a national cancer registry, but we’re also pushing for a registry for those who are living with dementia, and we will go further,” he said.

“We must raise awareness. Education is the first step in reducing that stigma.” 

“Dealing with dementia and dealing with loved ones who don’t recognise you, even after you’ve poured into them, is very sobering.”