What I Wish People Knew About Dementia: From Someone Who Knows

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This book raises big questions about dignity and community, autonomy, access and how we value people's contribution to society A 2018 Japanese study found that as a cue for recollection in the elderly population, retrieving a memory through olfactory stimulus can be more effective than through conversation alone, and that this could improve mental health more generally. The report said: ‘It is easier for elderly people to recall past memories and emotions during intervention when practising reminiscence using olfactory stimuli compared with when practising reminiscence using conversation. Such intervention results in emotional stability and, consequently, may affect the tendency to decrease depression during intervention in the short term.’ No wonder I love my rose-lined pathway so much. You may change or cancel your subscription or trial at any time online. Simply log into Settings & Account and select "Cancel" on the right-hand side.

MyHome.ie (Opens in new window) • Top 1000 • The Gloss (Opens in new window) • Recruit Ireland (Opens in new window) • Irish Times Training (Opens in new window) It is for this reason, she warns: “Language must never be underestimated. The language you use when giving a diagnosis can make or break people. Clinicians should be saying there is still so much you can do. I thought I worked in the ideal place to be diagnosed as I worked in the NHS for 20 years. Worried about a planned hospital stay? Looking for advice on choosing a care home that's right for you or a loved one? Our free, confidential, national phone service is open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year.Yet recently, seeing local eggs for sale from hens she knew, she craved "the experience of boiling an egg once more". Wendy’s account is full of humour and she talks about being a “glass half full person” saying: “I am a positive person so I even see the positives in a bummer of a diagnosis”. Many people faced with diagnosis assume it to be the end. I certainly did. The doctor said to me “there’s nothing I can do”. But if only clinicians would balance their clinical expertise, and see the person in front of them. They could offer the hope of a life still to be lived.

We read a book by US neurologist Daniel Gibbs, who was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s after years of supporting people with dementia. Dementia together magazine is for all Alzheimer’s Society supporters and anyone affected by the condition. Dementia won’t take away emotions, it will only take away words. I’ll never forget how someone makes me feel. I’m happy with people I feel safe with – happiness puts dementia in its place – but if that person shouts or is angry, I remember those emotions. I’m never frightened of the future. In fact, I’m much braver now Essential reading for those living with dementia, those who support them, professionals working in the field and any 'curious individual' . . . Her message for those given a dementia diagnosis is to never give up on themselves

For her, her “biggest fear is not knowing who my daughters are. I don’t know, it may be tomorrow so I focus on the present and enjoy the now. Our servers are getting hit pretty hard right now. To continue shopping, enter the characters as they are shown What I Wish People Knew About Dementia seeks to help readers both understand the science and empathise with the real-life implications of the disease. Occasionally heart-breaking, sometimes hilarious, Mitchell’s little snippets from her friends are always grounded in reality. Many will be instantly familiar to those who’ve experienced a dementia diagnosis personally.

Patterned carpets are completely disorientating because all the shapes just seem to come alive, moving around in front of my eyes. It can be very disconcerting to be asked to walk across a carpet that looks as though it’s covered with wriggling creatures, and because many of us with dementia have a wobbly gait, we tend to spend a lot of time looking at the floor to make sure we don’t fall over.” Yes, it is a bummer of a diagnosis - there's no getting away from it. But if only [those] that were giving the diagnosis would turn the tables round and instead of concentrating on what they cant do for us, they concentrated on what we still can do, what life we still have left, that would give us hope for the future rather than a despair of believing it to be the end." How could I give a book less than five stars when it is about the lived experience of someone with dementia? To say ‘the book could be better’ would be like saying ‘you could be leading your life better’. Impossible. For someone with dementia to apply themselves with such determination to produce any book let alone this fantastic book, is incredible. Though it is sad that the author, Wendy Mitchell has the condition, it is in having the condition and how she has responded to it that Wendy has produced her life’s work. Wendy’s life has been more than worthwhile because of the way she has helped others understand dementia.Personally, I don't think we will ever fully understand what an individual with dementia is contending with, and we will always be learning new aspects about the disease. This is the disease that claims many, and it is truly devastating to witness, whether you are a relative to that person, or a health professional. I worked in specialist dementia settings for over ten years, and I don't regret any of it, in fact, it sometimes crosses my mind whether I could have done more. She explores in detail the six key ways in which dementia has impacted her life: senses, relationships, emotions, environment, communication and attitude. She provides practical examples of what living with dementia looks like on a daily basis – from getting lost while out for a walk, to forgetting how to boil an egg – and is also generous enough to share some of the ingenious coping mechanisms she’s learned to employ.