Inyanga Yokuqwashisa Nge-Alzheimer

Wonke umuntu ubonakala emazi othile owazi umuntu onokuxilongwa kwe-Alzheimer's. Ukuxilongwa kungesinye sezifo eziningi ezizungeza umkhakha wokuqwashisa kwethu. Njengomdlavuza, isifo sikashukela, noma i-COVID-19, esikwaziyo ngokwesayensi akuhlale kucacile noma kududuza. Ngenhlanhla kumuntu oxilongwe, ingxenye yesivikelo njengoba ubuchopho bulahlekelwa “i-oomph” (igama lesayensi) ukuthi umuntu ohlonziwe akawazi kahle amaphutha noma ukulahlekelwa kwakhe. Impela akunjalo njengabantu ababazungezile.

Ngaba umnakekeli kababa wezingane zami lapho etholakala exilongwa ngoJanuwari ka-2021. Akufani nokuthi kwase kuyiminyaka embalwa singasoli, kodwa sathi ukuphambana kwezikhathi ezithile kwakubangelwa “ukuguga.” Lapho zixilongwa ngokusemthethweni, izingane, manje esezikhulile ezineminyaka engamashumi amathathu ubudala, zafika “zingahluziwe” (elinye igama lobuchwepheshe lomhlaba wonke eliphuma ngaphansi kwazo). Nakuba sesihlukanisile iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi nambili, ngavolontiya ukuyocosha izici zokunakekelwa kwezempilo mayelana nokuxilongwa ukuze izingane zazise futhi zijabulele ubuhlobo bazo noyise. “Kufanele uthande izingane zakho ngaphezu kwalokho ongamthandi lowo owawushade naye ngaphambili.” Ngaphandle kwalokho, ngisebenza kwezokunakekelwa kwezempilo, ngakho-ke kufanele ngazi okuthile, akunjalo? Akulungile!

Ngo-2020, u-26% wabanakekeli e-US bebenakekela umuntu onokuwohloka komqondo noma i-Alzheimer's, kusukela ku-22% ngo-2015. Abanakekeli bomndeni baseMelika abangaphezu kwekota bathi banobunzima bokuxhumanisa ukunakekelwa. Amaphesenti angamashumi amane nanhlanu abanakekeli namuhla athi abe nomthelela wezezimali okungenani owodwa (omubi). Ngo-2020, ama-23% abanakekeli baseMelika athi ukunakekela kwenze impilo yabo yaba yimbi kakhulu. Amaphesenti angamashumi ayisithupha nanye abanakekeli bomndeni banamuhla basebenza eminye imisebenzi. (Yonke idatha esuka ku aarp.org/caregivers). Ngifunde ukuthi i-Alzheimer's Association kanye ne-AARP ziyizinsiza ezinhle kakhulu, uma unolwazi olwanele lokubuza imibuzo efanele.

Kodwa, lokhu akukho mayelana nanoma yikuphi lokho! Ngokusobala, ukunakekela kuyisimo sakho sempilo noma kufanele kube okwako. Isenzo sokunakekela siyisici esinqunyiwe senhlalo sezempilo kumnakekeli, nomamukeli wokunakekelwa, njenganoma yimuphi umuthi noma ukungenelela ngokomzimba. Ukuzivumelanisa nezimo kanye nezindawo zokuhlala ezidingekayo ukuze kuhlinzekwe ukunakekelwa kwekhwalithi akutholakali, noma ukuxhaswa ngemali, noma kubhekwa njengengxenye yezibalo. Futhi uma kungenjalo kubanakekeli bomkhaya, bekuyokwenzekani?

Futhi abakhi bemigoqo emikhulu ngabahlinzeki bezokwelapha nezinhlelo ezixhaswa ngemali okuthiwa zisiza abantu ukuthi baphile ngokuphepha endaweni ezimele. Ake nginikeze amathuba amabili nje lapho kudingeka khona ushintsho.

Okokuqala, inhlangano yendawo ethembekile ixhaswa ngemali yokuhlinzeka ngabaphathi bokunakekela abantu abadala abaneminyaka ethile. Ukuthola usizo kudinga isicelo obekufanele ngisigcwalise ngoba ukusetshenziswa kwekhompyutha akunakwenzeka kubaba wengane. Ngenxa yokuthi “isiguli” asizange sigcwalise ifomu ngokwaso, i-ejensi yadinga inhlolokhono yomuntu siqu. Iqembu elikhonjiwe ngokuvamile ulahlekelwa ucingo lwakhe, akaluvuli, futhi uphendula kuphela izingcingo ezivela ezinombolweni ezaziwayo. Ngisho nangaphandle kwe-Alzheimer's, lelo yilungelo lakhe, akunjalo? Ngakho-ke, ngimise ucingo ngesikhathi esinqunyiwe nosuku, ngilindele ukuthi ubaba wezingane akhohlwe. Akwenzekanga lutho. Lapho ngibheka umlando wocingo lwakhe, belungekho ucingo olungenayo ngaleso sikhathi, noma ngalolo suku, noma empeleni olwake lwavela enombolweni enikeziwe. Sengibuyile endaweni yokuqala, futhi ilungu lethu lomndeni okuthiwa alinamandla lathi “kungani ngizobathemba manje?” Lena akuyona isevisi ewusizo!

Okwesibili, amahhovisi abahlinzeki awazi ngendawo yokuhlala edingekayo ukuze uphumelele. Kulokhu kunakekelwa, umhlinzeki wakhe wezokwelapha ukwazisa ngempela ukuthi ngimyisa ngesikhathi esifanele nangosuku olufanele, futhi ngiqondise zonke izidingo zakhe zokunakekelwa. Uma ngingakwenzi, bebengahlinzeka ngaleyo nkonzo? Cha! Kodwa, bangivulela ngokuhlelekile ukuthi ngifinyelele irekhodi lakhe lezokwelapha. Bathi, ngenxa yokuxilongwa, kuthiwa akakwazi ukuqoka umnakekeli izikhathi ezingaphezu kwesisodwa ngesikhathi. Amakhulu ezindleko zezomthetho kamuva, ngabuyekeza i-Durable Medical Power of Attorney (Ukusikisela: bafundi, zitholeleni eyodwa nomndeni wakho, eningeke niyazi!) futhi ngiyithumele ngefeksi hhayi kanye, hhayi kabili, kodwa kathathu (ngo-55 cents a ikhasi ku-FedEx) kumhlinzeki ogcine evumile ukuthi bathole enedethi yokuqala, okukhombisa ukuthi bebenayo ngaso sonke isikhathi. Bubula, lokhu kusiza kanjani?

Ngingangeza izahluko eziningi zokubhekana ne-Veterans Affairs (VA), nezinzuzo zokuhamba, kanye nezinzuzo zekhemisi eziku-inthanethi. Nosonhlalakahle abanamaphimbo anoshukela anoshukela uma bekhuluma nomuntu bese beba namandla asheshayo okushintshela emingceleni enamandla uma bethi “cha.” Futhi ubandlululo lwalabo abasebenzisa izingcingo nabakhuluma ngaye kunokuba bakhulume naye lululaza. Kuyi-adventure yansuku zonke okufanele nje yaziswe usuku olulodwa ngesikhathi.

Ngakho-ke, umlayezo wami kubantu abasebenza ohlelweni lokusekela, ngokwezempilo noma ngenye indlela, ukuthi banake lokho okushoyo nokubuzayo. Cabanga ukuthi isicelo sakho sizwakala kanjani kumuntu onamandla alinganiselwe, noma kumnakekeli onesikhathi esilinganiselwe. Ungagcini nje ngokuthi “ungalimazi” kodwa yiba wusizo futhi ube usizo. Ithi “yebo” kuqala bese ubuza imibuzo kamuva. Phatha abanye ngendlela obungathanda ukuphathwa ngayo nawe ikakhulukazi njengoba usungumnakekeli ngoba ngokwezibalo, leyo ndima isekusasa lakho ukuthi uyakhetha noma cha.

Nakubakhi bethu bezinqubomgomo; asiqhubeke nakho! Ungalokhu uqasha amatilosi ukuthi asebenze ohlelweni oluphukile; lungisa i-maze eyinkimbinkimbi! Qinisa ukwesekwa kwendawo yokusebenza ukuze kwandiswe incazelo ye-FLMA ukuze kufakwe noma ubani umnakekeli amqoka. Nweba usekelo lwezezimali lwabanakekeli (AARP futhi, inani elimaphakathi lezindleko zonyaka zokuphuma ephaketheni labanakekeli lingu-$7,242). Thola abanakekeli abaningi abaqeqeshwe kahle emsebenzini abanamaholo angcono. Lungisa izinketho zokuhamba kanye nokusikisela, ibhasi akuyona inketho! Bhekana nokungalingani okubangela ukungalingani ezweni labanakekeli. (Zonke izikhundla zenqubomgomo zincoma i-AARP).

Ngenhlanhla yomndeni wethu, ubaba wengane usemoyeni omuhle futhi sonke singathola amahlaya ekucasuleni nasemaphutheni akhona. Ngaphandle kwamahlaya, ukunakekela kunzima ngempela, akuvuzi, kuyabiza futhi kuyadinga. Ngomthamo omkhulu wamahlaya, ungadlula kukho konke.