Dementia-Isolation + Benefit of the Doubt
Hiya all, this might not sit right with some, and for that I apologise, but here goes anyway as I have always spoken from the heart.
In any illness isolation is an awful thing, but with dementia even more so, because over time, and as the disease progresses a person with dementia becomes more and more isolated, and sadly, sometimes, this comes from those around you. I am not talking about those closest to you doing things for you as has been mentioned before, but in general day to day living and decision making. If i am honest there are times i could scream because i am being corrected so many times by others. Not only that, when i am corrected about something i know i am 100% sure of is right, i get that knowing look, that nod, and the weakness in their necks where their head bends to one side and they are thinking Ahhh, must be his dementia SO INFURIATING !!
SOMETIME`s WE GET IT RIGHT"!!!
All too often people, including loved ones are so quick to jump to the conclusion that it cant be right ! because we have dementia, can you imagine how limiting that is, how it feels like not be heard, and even worse, how it feels like not to be believed,
WE HAVE DEMENTIA, WE ARE NOT STUPID !!
All i am asking, and this is from personal experience, is please think about what you are going to say first, but most of all please listen to what we are saying and give us the benefit of the doubt as you would to others, please don't take away our voice, our opinion and our very own self-worth
Norrms Mc Namara
Diagnosed with dementia and still fighting it every day
Hiya all, this might not sit right with some, and for that I apologise, but here goes anyway as I have always spoken from the heart.
In any illness isolation is an awful thing, but with dementia even more so, because over time, and as the disease progresses a person with dementia becomes more and more isolated, and sadly, sometimes, this comes from those around you. I am not talking about those closest to you doing things for you as has been mentioned before, but in general day to day living and decision making. If i am honest there are times i could scream because i am being corrected so many times by others. Not only that, when i am corrected about something i know i am 100% sure of is right, i get that knowing look, that nod, and the weakness in their necks where their head bends to one side and they are thinking Ahhh, must be his dementia SO INFURIATING !!
SOMETIME`s WE GET IT RIGHT"!!!
All too often people, including loved ones are so quick to jump to the conclusion that it cant be right ! because we have dementia, can you imagine how limiting that is, how it feels like not be heard, and even worse, how it feels like not to be believed,
WE HAVE DEMENTIA, WE ARE NOT STUPID !!
All i am asking, and this is from personal experience, is please think about what you are going to say first, but most of all please listen to what we are saying and give us the benefit of the doubt as you would to others, please don't take away our voice, our opinion and our very own self-worth
Norrms Mc Namara
Diagnosed with dementia and still fighting it every day