There are many different types of dementia and it affects everyone differently. For some, they lose the motivation to 'get on with life' and suffer from depression also as a result of that and other things. My father watched both his parents suffer with Alzheimers and spent years looking after them. To know he has the same fate is appalling for him to come to terms with. What I am trying to say is that to 'get on with life' and 'be positive' when struggling with alzhiemers is an ability for some people, but not all and there are many different and complex reasons for that.
BBC News broadcasts on alzheimers-INSENSITIVE (complaint sent)
- Thread starter overwhelmed1
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There are many different types of dementia and it affects everyone differently. For some, they lose the motivation to 'get on with life' and suffer from depression also as a result of that and other things. My father watched both his parents suffer with Alzheimers and spent years looking after them. To know he has the same fate is appalling for him to come to terms with. What I am trying to say is that to 'get on with life' and 'be positive' when struggling with alzhiemers is an ability for some people, but not all and there are many different and complex reasons for that.
Hi overwhelmed1 I agree with you dementia doe effect us in different ways , like your father my dad and mum had dementia also my mums brother and sister or my ant and uncle I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1999 aged 57 after several hospital visits and PET brain scans I was diagnosed in 2003 with frontal-temporal-dementia so with me now that five close family Members but I think it made me stronger I decided to continue working as a building surveyor for eight years until my retirement age 65 in 2008 and also fought tooth and nail to get my driving licence reinstated from a yearly licence to a Full driving licence ok it took me 12 years but it was well worth the fight so as you said it's down to the individual and I haven't been free of other medical conditions 12 months ago next Friday I was rushed into hospital after a heart attack obviously not so fit now but still battling on
Thank you for your reply. I don't think I will advise my father to 'buck up'/'be positive' and go get his driving licence once again though as he cannot even walk anymore. I am sure he wishes he had the motivation still left in his brain to fight but he is in late stage and I have never seen anything so harrowing in my life. That is the reality for some right now. I thought people on here would be understanding of this to be totally honest.
Hi overwhelmed
I do agree with you and am pleased the BBC have acknowledged your complaint, it's a start.
I'm sorry things are so bad with your father, it is indeed harrowing to watch and your efforts in contacting the BBC in an attempt to prevent upset for a sufferer or carer is laudable. I just wish people didn't have to either go through it or watch someone suffer in order to really understand.
I try best I can to live with my symptoms but no amount of 'bucking up or being positive' can take them away - would that it could! Accepting them is the bigger challenge.
Best wishes to you
Sue
I'm still with you overwhelmed1. I think that they should absolutely cover the relevant stories on the news, but to add someone's harrowing account of their personal experience of their partner's decline was irrelevant to the story. It is something they appear to do with dementia news stories every time, as opposed to maybe 50% of the time with other terminal illnesses.
I'm not talking about in topical news shows either, as story telling is more relevant there, but it still strikes me as wholly unnecessary to include such a personal and heartbreaking story in a very brief and positive news story about dementia rates stabilising...
I'm not talking about in topical news shows either, as story telling is more relevant there, but it still strikes me as wholly unnecessary to include such a personal and heartbreaking story in a very brief and positive news story about dementia rates stabilising...
I certainly understand as my mum declined very rapidly and any attempts to encourage her to try and adapt to make the most of what she could still do fell on deaf ears. If she couldn't have the life she had before, she didn't want anything else. She just kept saying she wanted to die and be out of it all. To some extent this was an exaggerated version of her personality anyway, as she was always a bit of a 'glass half empty' type.
It's great for those that have the drive to continue achieving and moving forward, but not everyone can manage that and it shouldn't be seen as a failure or lack of effort on their part or that of their carers.
My goodness Pickles53 I hope you don't think I,m suggesting that when I reply I can only give an opinion on how I myself cope will dementia , I have seen the other side of dementia my dad for years didn't know the names of any of the close family I often wonder if he just shut down because my mum gave him a dogs life , my wife , my sister, and my sister-in-law would stay with him in his room night times on a weekly rota he would shine a torch in their face during the night to check if they were there so yes I do understand and we're all different
