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The memories that will never fade away

LIN MA

FOR most of us, taking a shower is a less than ordinary event. But for some aged care residents in the Montefiore aged care home, the mere thought of it brings back memories they have tried for years to forget.

Almost 35 per cent of those living in the Jewish home at Hunters Hill are Holocaust survivors, and some within that group also have dementia. As their short-term memories begin to fracture, certain triggers like showers, queues, bright lights or even doctors, can transport these survivors back to their time in concentration camps.

The memories can have even worse effects on those with dementia. "If a resident without dementia is suffering from nightmares or flashbacks of the Holocaust," says Grossman, "they may have that during the night, but in the morning they're able to say, 'OK, that was a nightmare but I'm safe'. They're able to understand that it's not happening at the moment."

Symonds, a clinical psychologist, has devised a staff training program with Grossman on caring for Holocaust survivors at Montefiore. This includes a visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum, which Symonds says is crucial for non-Jewish staff members who may not be fully aware of a resident's traumatic past.

Krebb says staff might play music to distract residents from reliving traumatic events. During meals, nurses might sit and talk with residents who may be feeling stressed to lessen the clinical appearance of the dining hall. Almost 20 residents, including some Holocaust survivors, are now more than 100 years old.

Holocaust survivors are the oldest group of survivors, but "there are a whole lot of other groups that will be ageing in the future", says Karen Teshuva, senior research fellow for the Lincoln Centre for Research on Ageing at La Trobe University.

She recently investigated ways to best care for Holocaust survivors and those who lived through Pol Pot's murderous regime in Cambodia. She is now devising an evidence-based training program for those dealing with older trauma survivors.

In Australia there is little data on dementia rates among various cultural groups – let alone among those who have undergone trauma.

The Bureau of Statistics says 18 per cent of Australians aged over 65 were born overseas and 40 per cent of Australians have at least one parent from another country. A recent Access Economics report estimates the number of culturally diverse people with dementia will increase from 35,000 this year to 120,000 by 2050.

Researchers, multicultural service providers and aged care workers believe more needs to be done to help the ageing, non-English speaking population.

Dr Lee-Fay Low is studying the effects of dementia on culturally diverse groups. Her preliminary research at the University of NSW shows families of elderly people born overseas have to learn to cope with the disease while battling cultural and language barriers and stigma due to a lack of research and culturally-specific diagnostic tools.

While there is no research investigating the links between refugees and dementia risk in Australia, says Low, many anecdotal case studies indicate dementia symptoms are far worse for those who have experienced trauma. A study from the University of California found that war veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder were twice as likely to develop dementia than other veterans.