Christmas and dementia

Norrms

Registered User
Feb 19, 2009
5,631
0
Torquay Devon
A TIMELY REMINDER ABOUT DEMENTIA AT CHRISTMAS
PLEASE SHARE

I am often asked, “What, in layman’s terms, is dementia?”

I often answer it this way, especially at this time of year.

If you can imagine a Christmas tree, absolutely dripping with lights that shine as bright as you have ever seen. Have you ever wondered of the beauty of it and how it shines those lights of hope all around the world?

Then, if you imagine that every one of those wonderful lights are your life’s memories which can be seen (remembered) at any time. Then all of a sudden, one by one, those lights go out. Slowly but surely they start to diminish until they are gone forever, never to return, all memories of loved ones, family and life’s experiences just disappear until the final one folds into darkness and we all know, unless they find a cure what this means.

This is how I explain, in Layman’s terms what dementia is.

BUT!! And as you know by now there is always a but with me LOL!!

If sometimes, you give that Christmas tree a bit of a nudge!! (And I do not in any way condone shaking anyone with Dementia!! LOL) but, if you include and Engage with people who have this awful disease, sometimes, just sometimes these wonderful lights come back on, if only for a second, a few minutes or permanently, it doesn’t matter, the point is they have come back on and that memory has returned, for no matter how long.



I hope this helps and will help people in the future to try and explain what Dementia is, especially around this time of year.

All my love, Norrms xxxxxxxxxx
 

Attachments

  • A christmas tree with lights.jpg
    A christmas tree with lights.jpg
    14.4 KB · Views: 660

Julia B

Registered User
Apr 13, 2015
79
0
Thank you Normms, Christmas lights will sparkle in our house and I'll think of you, and all TP'ers, and love this explanation, and it helps me help my MiL get her own sparkle too, many hugs xx
 

exhausted 2015

Registered User
Jul 5, 2015
624
0
stoke on trent
A TIMELY REMINDER ABOUT DEMENTIA AT CHRISTMAS
PLEASE SHARE

I am often asked, “What, in layman’s terms, is dementia?”

I often answer it this way, especially at this time of year.

If you can imagine a Christmas tree, absolutely dripping with lights that shine as bright as you have ever seen. Have you ever wondered of the beauty of it and how it shines those lights of hope all around the world?

Then, if you imagine that every one of those wonderful lights are your life’s memories which can be seen (remembered) at any time. Then all of a sudden, one by one, those lights go out. Slowly but surely they start to diminish until they are gone forever, never to return, all memories of loved ones, family and life’s experiences just disappear until the final one folds into darkness and we all know, unless they find a cure what this means.

This is how I explain, in Layman’s terms what dementia is.

BUT!! And as you know by now there is always a but with me LOL!!

If sometimes, you give that Christmas tree a bit of a nudge!! (And I do not in any way condone shaking anyone with Dementia!! LOL) but, if you include and Engage with people who have this awful disease, sometimes, just sometimes these wonderful lights come back on, if only for a second, a few minutes or permanently, it doesn’t matter, the point is they have come back on and that memory has returned, for no matter how long.



I hope this helps and will help people in the future to try and explain what Dementia is, especially around this time of year.

All my love, Norrms xxxxxxxxxx

Hi norrms what a beautiful way to describe this awful disease, I hope one or two lights will come back on in our home this Christmas xx
 

Sue J

Registered User
Dec 9, 2009
8,032
0
Your analogy is so lovely and so true Norms - lets keep hoping they find the new fuse in our brains that prevents the lights from remaining full on heh?:) Keep posting, am sure you will:)
 

theoh

Registered User
Nov 11, 2015
24
0
Shared with our student daughter who loves her dad very much but finds it all so hard to deal with and is nervous about coming home for the Christmas holidays.

lovely words and so true

thank you x
 

kennedy1948

Registered User
Oct 7, 2013
58
0
Huntingdon
Thank you

A TIMELY REMINDER ABOUT DEMENTIA AT CHRISTMAS
PLEASE SHARE

I am often asked, “What, in layman’s terms, is dementia?”

I often answer it this way, especially at this time of year.

If you can imagine a Christmas tree, absolutely dripping with lights that shine as bright as you have ever seen. Have you ever wondered of the beauty of it and how it shines those lights of hope all around the world?

Then, if you imagine that every one of those wonderful lights are your life’s memories which can be seen (remembered) at any time. Then all of a sudden, one by one, those lights go out. Slowly but surely they start to diminish until they are gone forever, never to return, all memories of loved ones, family and life’s experiences just disappear until the final one folds into darkness and we all know, unless they find a cure what this means.

This is how I explain, in Layman’s terms what dementia is.

BUT!! And as you know by now there is always a but with me LOL!!

If sometimes, you give that Christmas tree a bit of a nudge!! (And I do not in any way condone shaking anyone with Dementia!! LOL) but, if you include and Engage with people who have this awful disease, sometimes, just sometimes these wonderful lights come back on, if only for a second, a few minutes or permanently, it doesn’t matter, the point is they have come back on and that memory has returned, for no matter how long.



I hope this helps and will help people in the future to try and explain what Dementia is, especially around this time of year.

All my love, Norrms xxxxxxxxxx

Thank you so much for your post Norrms . My husband was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia 2 years ago and I will use your brilliant description the next time I am asked to explain what it is.

Maggie
 

Forum statistics

Threads
138,123
Messages
1,993,180
Members
89,785
Latest member
MonkeyFeet