Case Studies
A Better Life
" A friend one said: 'Life was always that at arms length'. It took me sometime to figure out what he meant, but then I realised it was the same for me. Every morning When I woke until I went to sleep at night, that bottle was at 'arms length', right next to me. I needed that drink inside me just to function, get up off the bed, couch or wherever I'd passed out. But the words 'Life was always there' - that wasn't life, that was just existing. No purpose, no reason to keep myself clean, put clean clothes on, comb my hair or even look in the mirror because I was disgusted at who I was looking at. I hated myself, no self respect and I really didn't care what people thought of me.
In the places I'd been before the condition Korsakoffs Syndrome had never been mentioned. I thought alcohol only affected people physically such as cirrhosis of the liver. But now I have learnt it can also cause short term memory loss as well. I've been in many detox units before and lived in quite a few 'dry houses', some for 6-12 months and one in Chester for 18 months. Now that was good for me, 18 months without alcohol. I really thought I'd cracked it, I'd beaten the booze. Maybe I could have stood a good chance in some of those places, but there were a lot of things missing which are here at the Specialist Unit.
"A brighter future for which I am forever grateful"
Things like genuine, helpful and caring staff, who will go out of there way to ensure that help is at hand 24 hours a day 7 days a week and everyday I am on the right road to recovery, no matter how long it takes. Since I've been here I get up in the morning, I like to be clean, wear nice clothes and feel good about myself. I am no longer ashamed of what I see in the mirror. I hope other people around me can feel the same as I do, or maybe they already do. All I know is that coming to the Specialist Unit has given me a brighter future which I am forever grateful. Now I feel that it is a far better life, a lot further than that bottle at arms length. Thank you." - written by one of our clients.
What is it like to have Dementia?
" It's like a childish terror, worrying about what was said or done the previous day. Who did I hurt or insult? What did I do? What am I going to do today?
Finding that what used to be everyday conversation and never thought about becomes a chore.
I have had an embarrassingly good memory in the past, it is painful to have the reverse of the coin. The humiliation of having to use prolific notes, a watch to remind you of the day and date and now the bliss of a computer to make hundreds of notes. These are all tactics to hide the fact that you can't remember from one hour to another let alone one day to the next. And using carefully veiled questions as a tactic to find out what has been done the day previously and what is planned for today. "
Special things come in small packages
The first Korsakoffs resident was a lady who made significant progress in her abilities to care for herself. From her arriving still under the influence of alcohol, unable to go out alone. At the end of her 18 months stay, she was able to care for herself, had a room with all the facilities of a bed-sit. She would take herself round the local shops, remained alcohol free and took part in voluntary work for the Alzheimer's society. She was previously an accountant, so she made an excellent deputy treasurer. She is at present in her own area waiting independent living accommodation.
Her improvement led me to investigate further the needs of k.s. sufferers and the services available to them. In this search for information I needed to visit Scotland and I am in contact with a service in Germany but in general the information and research into this illness is scant and people are still being admitted into e.m.i. nursing homes despite their age and the information that they can give the opportunity to recover. We want to give them the opportunity of reaching their optimum level of recovery by providing facilities and opportunities appropriate to needs, age and diagnosis.
William
The second admittance of a k.s. to Bryn Derw adds to the theory that they have have a two-year window of opportunity to recover or have a significant improvements in abilities.
He was and is my first male client and only 46 years old. William was admitted with some incontinence, total confusion, completely disorientated to time place and person. He now helps with all household chores, including preparing his own lunch helps new residents, is no longer incontinent, is orientated to time place and knows all ours names. Still needs prompts and can be forgetful and repetitive but he does voluntary work five days a week and is a valuable member of their and our team.
He is no longer lonely and leads a purposeful life.
In his own words he has a reason to get up in the morning and something to look forward to, he is responsive, cheerful and pleasant a very different man to the one described by his family in the past. They say they now have the dad they knew he could be but never was.
