Deflection

We seem to be in the dead of winter. Although we had below normal temperatures around Christmas with about three inches of snow, we now are having mild temperatures. Friday, when I went walking, I found myself trying to hike in 1.5 inches of mud. (It seems like I might as well return to Iowa. ) There are now times when there is so much mud that I have to walk on the sidewalks to get my exercise; but, if it freezes over night, I can hike in the morning before the forty degree temperature stops my hiking. Although it froze last night, I was able to hike this morning on solid ground, but it got up to thirty-eight degrees this afternoon. (I just cannot wait to move to my northern lots.)

As I have been observing people with dementia, it seem like to me that their family members and friends stop come to see them like they use to do before this horrible disease. So, I wrote the essay below knowing that each family member and friend will all feel differently about the person that is affected by this disease. Since I cannot get into the head of the feelings that each person has for an affected person, and I do not want to know each person’s feeling, this essay will be short. But, as I keep reading in my research, it takes a real humanitarian to be a full time family caregiver. In some respects, it can be the hardest job that a person ever takes on. There are people trying to publish the observations and feeling from family caregivers so that our Society can better understand the magnitude of this disease.

Roger

Dementia – Feelings of Family Members and Friends

Dementia is a such slow process of the deterioration of the brain that family members and friend do not see it coming for years. As the disease takes over, the person will not only show the effects of the disease, like forgetfulness, but they can become rude to their family members and friends. Since some of the people will not put up this type of behavior, the question is: will the family members and friends return to comfort this person that they have cared for in the past? Although this essay will try to answer this questions, there is no clear answer to this question, since everyone feels different when they experience a person with dementia.

When a person starts to become forgetful, confused, and aggressive, people usually react to the point that someone is having a bad day and think nothing about the incident. But, when a person needs help with their checking account, since they are confused, and they are abusive to the caregiver, the caregiver may walk away with bad feeling for the person and they may never help that person again. As for the caregiver in this situation, this is a perfectly normal reaction. Nobody wants to help a person that does not appreciate their help, even if they are paid for their work.

As some of these dementia symptoms gets worse, at some point, the afflicted persons behavior will have to come to the attention of a medical doctor. When the dementia diagnosis is made, then the reasons for abusing family members and friends all makes sense.

But the problem is: once the diagnosis made, will the abused family members and friends return to spend time with the person with this horrible disease? Since it is a humanity reaction of caring that most people respond to regarding the needs for others, it would seem like most people would be like to care for the afflicted person, but this is not always the case. With a disease like leprosy, people stay away from the affiliated; unfortunately, with this disease, people stay away despite the fact that this disease in not contagious. The reasons the people stay away from these people range from each person’s feelings towards the disease and the afflicted person. It takes a real humanitarian to continue to visit the person and provide care. But, regarding the afflicted person, they need people to be around them to stimulate their brain.