'It felt like a prison sentence': Calls for more supports for people with dementia

Marguerite Keating of the Irish Dementia Working Group said: 'They told me that I had early onset Alzheimer's and I found that very, very frightening.'

More supports are needed for people with dementia, a Tipperary woman diagnosed at just 55 has urged. 

An estimated 64,000 people have dementia in Ireland, including about 4,000 aged under 65. Marguerite Keating said: “Dementia was a bad word in this country for a long time."

She was working in the disability sector when her colleagues noticed changes in her memory. So she went to get checked out.

“They told me that I had early onset Alzheimer's and I found that very, very frightening,” she said.

When it's personal it's confronting, it felt to me almost like a prison sentence.

She felt the diagnosis could “sort of chip away at you”, so she decided instead to push back. 

Now vice-chair of the Irish Dementia Working Group and a member of Understand Dementia, she spoke at a HSE seminar to call for more supports.

“I'm very passionate about having memory cafes here in Ireland and locally and all around because there are a lot of people not ready for daycare centres,” she said. “I find that the memory cafes get people out, they get them engaged.” 

Dr Sean O’Dowd, clinical lead for the national dementia office, said early diagnosis is vital. “We need to improve diagnosis, care and support for those who are affected and find ways to prevent it,” he said.

Lack of diagnosis means "missed opportunities", he said, adding: "We know that less than 40% of cases in Ireland of dementia are diagnosed. It can lead to inappropriate prescribing of medication.” 

He called for anyone with concerns to come for assessment. “We know that early diagnosis does ultimately lead to better outcomes in terms of quality of life for those who are affected,” he advised.

A new model of care for dementia is being rolled out by the HSE.

“There are 14 potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia," he said. "These have been cataloged by the Lancet Commission and they're responsible for potentially up to 45% of dementia cases."