Recent trends in Geriatrics and Gerontological Studies - State Level Conference

Patient

Family Background

Profession prior to the disease

Attack at age (in years)

Activities and habits

Duration of illness (in years)

Symptoms Noticed

Other diseases

Respond & Reciprocate Ideas and/or views

Mrs. A

Relatively medium size middle class family being wife of the head of the family

Housewife and with regular visit to the houses of the neighbours and relatives

73

Main attention was thrust upon rearing up the children and to look after the ageing husband; worship of the deities at home was the normal practice unabated for decades prior to illness; curious behaviour such as hiding valuables and daily needs in uncommon places.

10

Used to keep the dress materials and other articles in uncommon places due to forget-fulness; could not do her own work such as hair dressing properly; used to sit bending head down; old memories flashed though present remains dark.

Acute hyper-acidity with hyper-tension

At the beginning could identify and recognise persons; gradually could not commu-nicate ideas or thoughts;weak and abnormal response to the questions asked remained lonely and in pensive posture.

Excepting one occasion when nervous and psychiatric treatment done at a nursing home; special nurse and daughter-in-law did the job; usual anti-acid medicine and other drugs adminis-tered for general health care.

Mrs. B

Middleclass family with husband and wife being the members.

Housewife; a good singer; amicable personality engaged with social work.

77

Dutiful towards the distant relatives; reared up one of such relation of the husband at their residence; regularly worshipped her Guru during the early period of her illness; main-tained a good relations with her neighbours; at the later stage of life was deeply engrossed with serious illness of the husband.

6

Psycho-logically depressed due to husband's illness; nervous tension resulting in tremor, shivering and sitting stooping head with eyes almost closed; very slow foot steps; inability to do personal work; fright-fulness and forget-fulness.

Hyper-acidity with occa-sional stomach upset.

used to respond to the questions asked; could express her wishes with deter-mination and the onset of the illness; later on remained calm and in silent mood.

Psychiatric treatment and counseling done; trained attendants looked after her round the clock.

Death occured due to cardiac failure. No incidence is possible as the couple had no issue.

Miss. C

Medium sized middle class family living with sisters since the death of the parents

Worked at a central Govt. office till retire-ment.

70

A good and soft spoken religious minded personality a disciple of Sri. Ram-krishan; dedicated her life for the poor and desti-tutes; devoted the prime time of her life for helping her sisters build their career; remained unmarried; used to make calls to relative's houses regularly prior to illness.

5

Forget-fulness; repetition of work; unmind-fulness; liked to live with kittens; slow movement and reluctance to move out; gradual decline of memory.

Tonsilitis and short of hearing

Occasional loss of memory prevented her from identification and recognition of persons; can communicate with the members of the family.

Treatment is made at home with the advice of sister being a medical prac-titioner abroad; regular health check-up and the company of the sisters giving relief to the patient.

Not applicable