Actress Lara Dutta on Monday urged people to start conversations about Alzheimer’s disease and recognise its early signs, saying timely identification can help patients receive appropriate treatment and care.
Speaking to the media after attending an Alzheimer’s awareness conference on World Alzheimer’s Day, Lara said the biggest tool in the fight against the disease is awareness and open discussion.
Sharing her personal experience, the actress revealed that her 80-year-old mother has been living with Alzheimer’s and dementia for nearly a decade.
“Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, and the most important message I would like to share is that we tend to think Alzheimer’s is just a disease of forgetfulness. My mother is 80 years old, and she has been living with Alzheimer’s and dementia for quite a long time—about 10 years, a decade,” Lara said.
She added that the care her mother has received would not have been possible without the support of doctors, caregivers and a strong support system.
The ‘Partner’ actress urged people to consult healthcare professionals if they notice changes in their loved ones, rather than dismissing such symptoms as part of normal ageing.
“When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, the most important thing today is that we talk about it and start a conversation. We should start as early as possible so that we can identify the disease in its early stages and empower ourselves,” she said.
Lara stressed that changes in thinking or memory should not simply be treated as ordinary forgetfulness or automatically attributed to ageing.
She also encouraged people to seek guidance from qualified healthcare practitioners, ask questions and build the support systems needed to care for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
