A UAE resident who has remained by her father's side during his seven-year struggle with Alzheimer's disease said carers need "a shoulder to cry on".
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, recently moved to the Emirates with her elderly parents and feels more help is needed for patients and those tasked with caring for them.
She has become reliant on YouTube videos to understand her 84-year-old father's symptoms as well as her own subsequent depression, due to a lack of support.
“We were looking everywhere for support in the UAE but have not found the proper help,” said the woman, from Saudi Arabia.
“Support for carers does not really exist here. I’ve looked on social media and online, but I can’t find anything.
“One woman posted a couple of years ago, but has left the country.”
Her father's initial diagnoses came when the family lived in Los Angeles.
The former oil executive's personality deteriorated from being forgetful to showing uncharacteristic aggression towards his family.
The family have secured 24-hour home nursing support at a cost of Dh24,000 a month.
“My mum is also older, so she is scared and confused for the future,” said the woman, 46.
"The lack of education on the condition in the UAE is another problem. People do not know always how to deal with Alzheimer's patients here like my dad, especially when he is lashing out.
“I would like to be able to visit a support group with people going through the same thing, to share our stories and find out what has worked for them.
“I have needed a shoulder to cry on and I’m sure others are the same.”
The condition is becoming more accepted around the world, but carers often face similar challenges wherever they hail from.
A British woman, who is now the main carer for her husband, said specialist services are on-hand in the UK to help both patient and carer.
Her husband was diagnosed in 2016, two years after beginning to lose not only his memory but the grasp of language and how to communicate.
His wife, who asked that the couple be not identified, had to deal with gradually losing the man she married 50 years ago while also looking after his daily needs.
“The support I receive is purely what I have organised for myself,” she said.
"The NHS 'memory people' come round on an annual basis to assess him and they are available by phone if I want to talk at any time. I have arranged for him to have two days a week in a day centre, where he goes and meets other people similar to himself.
"This enables him to participate in activities with other people rather than be at home all day with me. It also gives me time to myself so I can do things for me."
Having close family round to share the responsibility of caring for her husband has allowed her to take time away with friends to recharge and avoid the burnout doctors say is common in carers.
“The problem with this disease is that everyone is different and moves along at different rates,” she said.
“You never know how long it is all going to take, that is the awful thing.
"You just have to live day to day. The thing I feel more than anything else is that although I am not lonely, I feel very alone."
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
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Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
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Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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