The Head of the Saudi Arabia Hajj Organizer Health Committee, dr. Muhammad Imran, reported that elders who become disoriented and do things like requesting to return home on the plane, or think that they are still in their homeland despite having arrived on the Holy Land, usually do so because of dementia.
“Dementia is generally followed by cognitive disorders, such as disorientation concerning location, time, and the identity – either that of themselves or the people around them. The most common initial symptom observable is forgetting things easily, especially things that only occurred recently; difficulty in learning new things; difficulty in concentrating, in remembering the time and place they are in right now; especially since they traveled away from their hometown to the embarking point in Indonesia, or to the Holy Land.
Dementia is a symptom that we need to be extra watchful for among this year’s Indonesian hajj pilgrims, because the number of elder pilgrims is much higher than in previous years,” dr. Imran warns.
Cognitive Stimulation
Pilgrims suffering from dementia need to be provided with cognitive stimulations, such as by talking and socializing with them. Hajj health workers must accompany the pilgrims properly. Those suffering from the condition must be referred to the Indonesian Hajj Health Clinic in Medina to obtain proper cognitive stimulation therapy. Usually, the patient’s memory will return after this therapy.
“After the pilgrim/patient recovers, their companion must remain alert, because the dementia might recur primarily because of exhaustion and dehydration. We strongly suggest that elder pilgrims get sufficient rest and not force themselves to perform any activity outside of the prescribed hajj routine, as it may trigger exhaustion and dehydration because of exposure to extreme heat.