Learning disability that leads to dementia

Gabby and I with her artwork.

I was paired with Gabby. She is in her mid-30s, diagnosed with Down's Syndrome and shows signs of early stage of dementia.

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How does dementia and learning disabled relate to each other?

According to the Mental Health Foundation, people with a learning disability are three times more likely to develop dementia than the rest of the population.

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For the art class today, we will need to draw something that is Chinese New Year related. Instead of usual drawing and painting on a drawing block, Y*Star will need to draw on the back of a disposable paper plate. The paper plate being halved to make a fan which includes ice cream sticks being the holder.

Gabby is very detailed. When teacher Wendy instructed the class to draw the zodiac sign of the year which is the rat, she resisted as she really wants to draw a dragon. So I compromised with her that she can draw dragon but only use gold, red and yellow as these colors are related to Chinese New Year.

First, she asked me to help her draw a dragon. At the start, I was resistant to the idea because as a new volunteer, there is a tendency for Y*Star to 'bully'. As teacher Wendy said during the volunteer's briefing, we encourage Y*Star to do everything by themselves. This includes preparing for materials needed for the art class.

This picture is chosen for me to draw.

Afterward, she would paint very precisely. She would paint within the lines and she has very good control of her paintbrush as compared to other Y*Star.

I noticed she only use red to paint the body of the dragon but not yellow or gold. I got curious so I asked her when is she going to use yellow or gold. She didn't reply to me for the first time so I asked her again and again with the thought that she didn't hear me properly.

She only responded to me when I asked if I am 'kpoing too much' ( being a busybody) by asking her if she is using other colors except for red. Surprisingly, she stroked my chin with her fingers like how a grandmother shows her affection to her grandchild. This gave me assurance and comfort.

Reflection

There is one point in time when I was wondering if I am baby-talking to Gabby a lot. I find myself praising Gabby a lot but she is not responsive to it. She didn't smile or say 'thank you'. I do not know if she didn't hear me properly or she just dislike the way I structured my encouragement to her. In fact, she is 20 years older than me. I wonder how she feels. If she is an ordinary Singaporeans, she would have cringe at me praising her.

However, during the volunteer's debrief, I shared how gabby being unresponsive to me. From teacher's reply, I learnt that unresponsiveness is one of the symptoms for dementia.

One interesting fact that I learnt is that learning disability can eventually led to long term disease such as dementia.

" For example, the life expectancy of someone with Down's syndrome has risen from 25 years in 1983 to over 60 years in 2015. One consequence of this improvement is that more people with learning disabilities, such as Down's syndrome, are living to an age where they are likely to develop dementia. " - Alzheimer's Society

Never have I thought of people with learning disability are more likely to develop illnesses associated with older age.

" They are at a greater risk of developing dementia as they get older compared with the general population. " - Social Care Institute for Excellence

Other health needs to consider for people with learning disabilities

Older people with learning disabilities have higher rates of arthritis and other problems that impair mobility. Respiratory disorders are common. The person may have hypertension which in turn is associated with cerebrovascular disease.