El Residente
34 Senior Living in Costa Rica by Katya De Luisa
Dementia in Costa Rica
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any people believe there is a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia in Costa Rica. However, Costa Rica is seeing a rate of increase in the percentage of cases of dementia comparable to more developed countries. According to the Raul Blanco Cervantes Geriatric Hospital, there are presently an estimated 30,000 people in the country living with dementia, and, it is predicted that the number will quadruple by 2050.
The majority of us experience some memory challenges as we age. Some memory loss can be a normal part of aging, or it can be the early signs of a cognitive decline which might be leading to dementia. (In the past dementia was referred to as “senility” but that term is now antiquated.) Dementia is a symptom caused by a neurological disease like Alzheimer’s, vascular deterioration, or hormonal imbalances; we do not get dementia because of aging alone. The symptoms usually begin with memory loss, although the person may begin losing executive function and experience delusional beliefs, personality changes, lack of emotional impulse control, or make some terrible decisions, even earlier. What causes dementia? All the answers are not known, but some indicators do exist.
In Costa Rica, we have the legendary “Blue Zones,” an area near the Gulf of Nicoya being the primary one, with others throughout the country, where we commonly encounter elderly in their nineties and over. These generations lived very healthy lifestyles, were predominately farmers who ate animals they raised and vegetables they grew. They drank water from the land, had strong ties to their communities, and worked from sunup to sundown in lots of fresh air – the perfect balance for a long, healthy life. Modern Costa Rica, however, has changed that dynamic. The small farms are disappearing as the young people look to the city for education and jobs. Many elderly couples find much of their family has moved away and, eventually, they can no longer keep up their farms. And, when one spouse dies, the other usually moves in with their family, if they have one, and the farm is sold. Something else that has also changed is the Costa Rican diet. In the past “junk food” was scarce, and packaged, processed food was too expensive. Today, the majority of the elderly eats very poorly and exercises minimally; thus, medical problems like diabetes and heart problems are more common.
