" My grandpa's worst fear is getting dementia. A fear that stems from the notion of your loved ones remembering you as mentally incompetent as opposed to the person you were before"- Ellie Aronica 11th
My grandpa's worst fear is getting dementia. A fear that stems from the notion of your loved ones remembering you as mentally incompetent as opposed to the person you were before. The world health organization reports that 50 million people have dementia and each year there are 10 million new cases. Dementia is one of the leading causes of mental impairment and dependency. My grandpa says that “dementia is enormously cruel.” He and my grandma personally know many people who have struggled with this disease.
My grandparents told me stories of the people they love and their battles with dementia. A close friend of my grandpa’s who was a World War II veteran got dementia at 90 years old. His dementia caused him to become transfixed on a memory he had from decades ago, he convinced himself that he was in love with a nurse from the war that he had seen after getting off a flight to London. He would ask the people in his life to fly him to the airport to search for her. Eventually, he began to believe that a nurse at his nursing home was the same nurse he had fallen in love with. He passed away at age 93. He had only had dementia for three years, however, in those last years he became increasingly confused and lost track of time.
Another friend of my grandparents was an established scientist who was one of the primary developers of the neutrino counter, he got dementia in his fifties. He was a very smart man and when he lost his memory it affected him differently than others. He would avoid saying things in conversations that required memory and would direct the conversation to you and ask a lot of questions so he didn't have to talk about himself. He was very aware of his sickness and was constantly trying to counteract the effects of his dementia.
My grandparents have seen many people lose themselves to this disease and it's not at all an uncommon thing. It's overlooked and families around the world deal with loved ones getting dementia. It takes an enormous toll on the person but also their families and care takers. Some people's biggest fear is losing their mind to dementia and I understand, it’s a scary disease that leaves families not recognizing the person they said goodby to.
My grandparents told me stories of the people they love and their battles with dementia. A close friend of my grandpa’s who was a World War II veteran got dementia at 90 years old. His dementia caused him to become transfixed on a memory he had from decades ago, he convinced himself that he was in love with a nurse from the war that he had seen after getting off a flight to London. He would ask the people in his life to fly him to the airport to search for her. Eventually, he began to believe that a nurse at his nursing home was the same nurse he had fallen in love with. He passed away at age 93. He had only had dementia for three years, however, in those last years he became increasingly confused and lost track of time.
Another friend of my grandparents was an established scientist who was one of the primary developers of the neutrino counter, he got dementia in his fifties. He was a very smart man and when he lost his memory it affected him differently than others. He would avoid saying things in conversations that required memory and would direct the conversation to you and ask a lot of questions so he didn't have to talk about himself. He was very aware of his sickness and was constantly trying to counteract the effects of his dementia.
My grandparents have seen many people lose themselves to this disease and it's not at all an uncommon thing. It's overlooked and families around the world deal with loved ones getting dementia. It takes an enormous toll on the person but also their families and care takers. Some people's biggest fear is losing their mind to dementia and I understand, it’s a scary disease that leaves families not recognizing the person they said goodby to.
