What I Wish You Knew About Dementia
Even the word, dementia is a bit scary – we hear that someone has been diagnosed with dementia and we feel sad for them. For all the memories that they’ve lost or will lose, and for all the personality quirks that make them who they are, that they may also lose.
Many of our clients across Malvern, Worcester and surrounding areas have a diagnosis of dementia, and it’s something that we are passionate about. Helping others to understand the condition, and to help those living with it to live their very best lives – safely.
There are many misconceptions around dementia, and we find ourselves correcting those who we are talking to, to put the record straight.
As we’ve just had Dementia Action Week, and a lot of attention has been drawn to the condition, we asked our team to share what they wish you knew about dementia.
Dementia Speaks Out
Deb started the ball rolling by saying that dementia is a degenerative disease (which means that it will get progressively worse over time) which cannot be cured. Whilst it’s true that the diagnosis is becoming quicker, we are still a way off having a usable cure for the disease. Deb goes on to say that the person who has dementia is still the same person they always were – just with slight variations.
Julie is poetic in her statement, where she says that if you imagine your life as a library – each memory is a separate book on the library shelves. If there was an earthquake, and all the books fell off the shelves onto the floor, that’s what having dementia is like – the confusion of knowing that you have a memory of something – but struggling to place it.
One of our carers said that the thing they wished you knew about dementia was how lonely it can be for family members as well as the person with dementia and how hard it is for family to see their loved ones fading away from them. This is one of the most difficult things to understand if you haven’t lived with it. Whilst we know that there are some activities and respite for those with dementia, the support for their families is still someway behind, here in Worcestershire.
Sandra reminds us that if a loved one with dementia is presenting in an irritating manner, or acting in a challenging manner, turn that thought around to remember that our loved one is having a tough time – not intending to give us the tough time. She says that changing our perspective can make all the difference.
Deb revisited the question later on, and came back with “People (both who live with and without dementia) will often forget what has been said to them or who people are but they will Never forget how someone makes them feel” – we think this is so true, and it’s why we go to great lengths to employ people who care enough to make a difference.
We don’t always have all of the answers – but we’ll never stop trying to find them, if the answer will help someone we care about.
If you have any questions about how dementia can affect your loved one, or if you feel like some additional support from dementia specialists across Malvern, Worcester and Upton Upon Severn would be useful in maintaining independence, please do get in touch.
