I was disappointed and saddened a few days ago to hear someone who said they had experience of a family member suffering from dementia, say that dementia was simply about memory loss. Yes, it is about memory loss, but it’s also about so much more than that!
While there are still people who consider dementia just to be about memory loss, I don’t think it’ll ever be considered as a serious life-changing and life-threatening illness – We all forget things sometimes, so to me, talking about dementia as simply memory loss, almost seems to trivialise it as we tend to think of those instances when we ourselves have temporarily forgotten something.
From personal experience dementia is so much more than just forgetting things, it’s about the change in their personality – those who have been mild mannered and caring may become aggressive and angry; it’s about no longer being able to care for and look after yourself; it’s about no longer understanding that you have to eat and drink to live.
For me one of the worst things was seeing the fear in their eyes of my Dad and Aunt Mae as they realised what is happening to them, knowing they could do nothing to stop the illness take over their lives. Forget a few thing doesn’t do that to anyone, dementia does, and it’s heart wrenching.
Here’s just some of the symptoms dementia suffers may experience, not all suffers experience all these symptoms but they will definitively experience some…you can see at a glance it’s more than just about forgetting things!
- increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require concentration and planning
- memory loss
- depression
- changes in personality and mood e.g. A person who was previously withdrawn may become very outgoing, or vice versa; a quite mild mannered person my become loud and aggressive.
- periods of mental confusion
- wandering during the night
- aggression
- low attention span
- believing in things that are not true
- slower movement,
- shaking and trembling of arms and legs
- shuffling while walking,
- problems sleeping
- visual hallucinations
- compulsive behaviour,
- speaking far less than usual, or not speaking at all,
- having problems finding the right words to express themselves
I hope you never have to cope with anyone in your family or any friends suffer from dementia because it really is a cruel illness – I’ve been there and witnessed it first hand with several very close family members, and therefore have seen first hand how it affects not only the sufferer but their family and friends too…it’s awful.
Please always remember, dementia is not just about forgetting a few things, it’s about so much more!
The Distinct Dot 