Talk to Dementia patients- Weinberg-Rauhes Haus

Since the age of 14 I have been regularly exposed to the beautiful and perilous aspects of growing old and taking care of the elderly. I started out by occasionally helping out in a dementia home in Hamburg with a family friend who works with therapy dogs for the elderly. Then right after graduating high school I worked in Alzheimer’s research at Roche for 9 months and through that I got to meet a lot of people very passionate about this, whilst also getting a good insight into the pharma side of things.

It has been two years since my work at Roche and I’ve spent my other summers either working in an office or now on iGEM. Although our project is about ageing, I haven’t been thrown into the deep end of dementia research and care for a while. Precisely until I was back at the dementia home in Hamburg this past week, this time with the purpose of getting the opinions of the elderly about our project and their life in general. I got to speak to a few people individually and then also two groups of people, everyone with varying forms of dementia: from very light Alzheimer’s, which you wouldn't be able to tell, to the late stages, which are almost incomprehensible. Overall these experiences were enlightening, inspiring and motivating to do more research and help but simultaneously the potential realities of the future are distressing.

Over the next few weeks we will be publishing the stories of the people I got to speak to and the impressions and experiences I gained from the group sessions.

Monika

As I added some sugar and milk to Monikas tea her eyes lit up. She asked me what I was doing with my life and I proceeded to tell her I was studying in London. At this point her eyes grew even brighter as a grin crept across her face “I once went to a tea party in London!” she exclaimed happily as she stirred her tea. I inquired further about her time in London and she happily told me all about her holiday there back in the 60s and how she sees how things have changed now on the news. I told her a bit about my experience there, then followed up with a quick very simple explanation of why I was coming all the way to Hamburg from London and what our “ageing” project really tries to achieve. She was intrigued and told me that it is very nice “that such brilliant young people care about us old folks.”

Over the next 10 or so minutes she engulfed me with stories of her upbringing, her life in post-war Germany, her job as a Kindergarten teacher, her children and their children and how things changed after her husband died and she moved to a home for the elderly. She told me about how she used to always be independent and saw herself as a modern woman, taking fate into her own hands. Even at her nearly 90 years of age, the strength, resilience and power of her personality she was describing of her youth, shone through. It was difficult for me to change the topic from the positive and empowering aspects of her impressive life, to the potential hardships she may be facing now in a care home.

I am not sure whether it was sheer ignorance to assume that when you are put into a care facility, you are stripped of your independence and pride, or whether it was the fear of the unknown for my family or even myself in the distant future. Nevertheless I couldn't have been more wrong (or at least I was in Monikas case.) With the everlasting excitement in her eyes she told stories of her grandchildren visiting her and how she was proud to be known as “cool grandmother”, always having their backs and helping them out when they have made a small mess of a situation.

When I asked her how things had changed over the years she told me “I used to always be happy… But now the sad thoughts are catching up to me but I don't let anyone know. Especially not my grandchildren, to them I still am ‘happy grandma.’” When I tried to enquire further about her sad thoughts she blocked me off and told me it was no matter and that it was just a thing that happens when you get older. The momentary sadness in her eyes vanished in an instant as I saw the strong powerful woman inside trying not to let the distress get a hold of her.

Monika showed me that the character you have built up in your youth and earlier life does not need to change as you grow older. She was still the strong powerful woman that she had described to me and although she does require some assistance she does not seem at all dependent or unhappy about the help that is provided to guide her through her everyday life. Lastly she also opened my eyes to the fact that ageing is more than just a physical process but also a mental one that can affect your mental wellbeing, which may need to be taken into greater consideration when providing for the elderly.