Movement and music giving one early-onset dementia sufferer improved quality of life

After being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at 58, South Aucklander Amrita Francis thought her time in music was over.

But her loving husband, Martin, and son Sanesh say it was her love of music that helped restore some of her old standard of living.

"Just as you have enthusiasts of motorbikes and cars. For her it's music, she comes alive again."

"It's just amazing to see her remember her old favourites," Martin said

The music actually is scientifically proven to help her deal with her Alzheimer's, it's called cognitive stimulation therapy.

Amrita was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers three years ago at 58.

As a music teacher who had taught in international schools around the world, Amrita's diagnosis hit hard because it spelled the end of her career, Martin said.

Amrita, her husband Martin and their son Sanesh, who was 15 at the time of the diagnosis were living in Shanghai when they got the news.

It started with Amrita forgetting things and one night while she was out with friends she kept asking the same question over and over again, and they realised something was off.

Amrita Francis with husband Martin Francis, left, and son Sanesh. They were at first told she could not have dementia because she is too young. Photo / Jason Oxenham

After seeking medical advice the family was told she could not have dementia because she was too young.

"Also the fact that she was still able to play complex music on the piano made it seem unlikely, but after we returned to New Zealand we visited a local GP who confirmed our worst fear," Martin said.

After the diagnosis the family returned to New Zealand and got in touch with Dementia Auckland who welcomed her into their Cognitive Stimulation Therapy programme.

The results were incredible, Martin said.

"Harnessing her love of music has also been important, she's been playing the piano at retirement centres, the Papakura Salvation Army, where she volunteers, and at Toastmasters meetings that she attends every second Thursday.

Their son who was in New Zealand at the time of diagnosis had been a "pillar of support" and came into his own.

"He handled it very well, he was in New Zealand so he had time to come to terms with it. He was quite strong and he has been a huge pillar of support.

"He has been able to work with her so well. He has immense patience, and you need those characteristics when you live with someone with dementia.

"For someone so young to understand and cope with his mum is amazing. He has really taken this on really well. He has embraced this."

The two men had taken over from cooking since the diagnosis and music was another way for Sanesh and Amrita to bond.

"She will say 'it's so quiet where is the music'"

"Next thing I know they are doing their own Karaoke and remembering the words."

Sharing music was a way of helping Amrita and others too. One night at a night out Amrita spied a grand piano and made a beeline for it.

"She sat down on the piano and played from memory, once she started playing we couldn't get her off."

"It would add a different dimension to her."

Next month hundreds of people will be getting together across Auckland with friends and family to support Dementia Auckland's annual fundraiser.

University of Auckland senior lecturer Gary Cheung co-leads the dissemination of cognitive stimulation therapy in New Zealand. The therapy helps some dementia sufferers regain memory. Photo / Supplied

Auckland University's Dr Gary Cheung, a researcher in the field of old age psychiatry, co-leads the translation and research of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) in New Zealand.

"Lack of funding is affecting our ability to implement this treatment.

"Dementia Auckland sort of pick up the ball really, they operate it as part of their service delivery."

He and Dr Kathy Peri brought the practice to the country about five years ago.

It had been operating for a time before that out of Hawkes Bay after a staff member returned from a conference in the UK where the therapy was first pioneered.

The therapy had shown it could improve cognition, memory and thinking ability, language and how people expressed themselves, as well as their quality of life, he said.

"It is a group treatment, usually about six to eight people with mild to moderate dementia they come together twice a week for seven weeks."

It uses a number of activities that engage the group and allows them to express opinion. One of the activities is current affairs and newspaper items, in which people discuss an article.

This year thanks to funding from Brain Research New Zealand they were able to run 10 workshops across the country.

"After that we need to talk to the ministry and put our reports together."

Getting Government funding was the next step, he said.

"We are way behind the United Kingdom, they have been doing it for well over 10 years now. "

Dementia Auckland executive director Paul Sullivan said the hope was the more people came together to talk about dementia and the ways to treat it, the more support from Government and the general public they would get.

With that support they could fund "the programmes that are making a real positive difference on the thousands of people around New Zealand living with Dementia".

According to the Dementia Economic Impact Report, more than 170,000 Kiwis will be living with dementia by 2050.

Dementia affects around one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80, according to Alzheimers New Zealand.