June 24, 2024

Local parishioner presents educational sessions on dementia and Alzheimer’s

REGIONAL
By David Martin

 

WESTFIELD – Several parishioners from St. Mary Parish in Westfield and local residents gathered in the church basement recently to learn about encountering dementia at home and in their community.

The event was sponsored by Dementia Friends Massachusetts and presented by Mark Nutting, a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in West Springfield. St. Mary’s pastor, Father John Salatino, told iObserve it originated Last fall when Nutting joined a trip with St. Mary’s to Pennsylvania. At dinner Nutting explained he offers various information sessions about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia throughout the area at local libraries and senior centers and wondered if the parish would be interested. Father Salatino said St. Mary’s welcomed the opportunity.

“My mom had Alzheimer’s and I was her primary caregiver and decision maker for her 13-year journey with this disease,” said Nutting. “Mom has passed on now and so I wanted to volunteer some of my retirement time to the cause and help raise awareness and education to people, also to support current caregivers who are having the same helping journey that I was,”

Nutting added that he spent the past few years getting education and industry training to make sure he is current on all the early signs and symptoms of dementia. He said in some of the early stages of the disease many go unnoticed when in grocery stores, banks, and even in churches. Nutting said it is part of human nature for people to be unconcerned and distant from others who are suffering from something they do not understand and do not know how to help. His goal for the session was to offer enough background knowledge and information to overcome the “do nothing” stage.

Nutting used video clips to offer examples and personal experience of how to help others and take control of situations that are difficult for those suffering from dementia to comprehend. He also incorporated video to share perspectives of people living with dementia on a daily basis. Nutting said the question he gets asked most often is: What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia? He explained that Alzheimer’s disease is not a mental illness; Alzheimer’s is a physical disease of the brain and is responsible for 60 to 80% of all diagnosed cases of dementia. It is a disease which there is no cure for.

Nutting showed diagrams of how much brain mass is lost for someone with Alzheimer’s. A normal brain weighs about three pounds while a person with Alzheimer’s weighs only two pounds.

Nutting added dementia is a non-specific disease, simply an umbrella term that describes a group of symptoms. Ten early signs of dementia are: memory loss, challenges in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, problems with words in speaking and writing, misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps, decreased or poor judgement, withdrawal from social activities and changes in mood and personality.

Nutting also said eventually dementia affects motor skills as well but it is possible for those suffering from dementia to still have a good quality of life. He said it is important for others to understand that those with dementia may have an altered sense of reality, but it is just as concrete to them as the reality of a person who is not suffering from dementia.

Father Salatino, whose late father had dementia, said Nutting’s presentation was a success.

“He gave a very poignant talk. Unfortunately, it is a service that a lot of people are in need of.  We probably had 25 people show up and they are all dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia in one way or another. So any way you can find out how to support or deal with that situation is good,” he said.

Nutting will present information sessions about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia at Agawam Library on June 28; at the Longmeadow Adult Center on July 16; and at Holy Cross Parish in Springfield on Oct. 5.

A video version of this story will be featured on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS.