Reading 'A Guide to the World of Dementia' makes me realize once again: every person is different.

The anxiety of wondering if it might be dementia

Dementia.
When I was in my 20s, born in the Showa era, my grandmother developed dementia.
It seems the term 'dementia' (ninchisho) has only been used since 2004; back then, I believe it was still called 'boke' or 'chiho'.

Now, my mother, who cared for that grandmother, seems to have developed mild dementia.
She hasn't received an official diagnosis from a doctor yet, so I can't say for sure, but “A Guide to the World of Dementia” I've increasingly felt that the explanation of 'what is dementia' written in the book fits her condition.

My mother sometimes experiences the following:
1. She loses her sense of the date, not knowing what month, day, or day of the week it is today.
2. If I ask her at lunch, 'What did you have for breakfast?', she cannot remember the menu.
3. When asked what flavor of nutritional supplement drink she has with every meal, her mind goes completely blank.

According to 'A Guide to the World of Dementia',
in the case of 1, it feels like she is in the 'Palace of Timelessness' in the world of dementia;
in the case of 2, it feels like she is riding the 'Mystery Bus' in the world of dementia;
in the case of 3, it feels like she is in the 'Creative Dining Yabai-tei' in the world of dementia.

The state of 'forgetfulness seems to have progressed quite a bit' was very elusive and caused great anxiety, but once I understood from this book that 'this is a common occurrence in the world of dementia', my focus shifted toward 'how to improve it', which greatly eased my anxiety.

Arriving at the obvious truth that every person is different

Although she is working hard on rehabilitation every day, my mother, who spends most of her day in bed or in a wheelchair and does not go out on her own, does not seem to experience other happenings (or have those experiences), so she doesn't seem to travel much in other parts of the world of dementia.

On the other hand, when she hums along to music (mainly Showa-era popular songs) playing from the TV, her smartphone, or Amazon Alexa, her rhythm and pitch are quite accurate. I sometimes think that perhaps her right brain is quite active, while her left brain is partially malfunctioning.

In 'A Guide to the World of Dementia', there is the following travel guide entry:
“In reality, just because you have dementia does not mean everyone experiences the same symptoms together.”

Just as everyone has different life experiences, the situation of dementia is different for each person. I think that people are indeed all unique.

Both the person herself and the family were afraid of getting a doctor's diagnosis, and yet the anxiety that 'it might be dementia' was great, but once I was able to grasp the overall picture of the world of dementia, I was able to break away from the state of mind of being in a fog, and I began to see that what she can and cannot do, and her strengths and weaknesses, are truly her 'individuality'.

Once I regained my composure, I finally arrived at the obvious truth that 'every person is different'.

Summary: This book is a reassuring guide

Using the Canva template introduced in the article above, I wrote a summary of my impressions in a POP style.

Just as medical research has advanced and the name has changed to 'dementia' (ninchisho), we live in the Reiwa era where we can obtain excellent navigators like 'A Guide to the World of Dementia'.
Correctly grasping the situation and then working on improvements is the shortest path, but I think it is very difficult to go to that shortcut without correct information.
As the saying goes, 'a guide is desirable,' and for dementia as well, the knowledge of those who have gone before feels like a light illuminating the path ahead.
Compared to the days when there was no information, I am truly grateful that people with dementia and their families can live with a brighter outlook.

Thank you for reading again this time.

#AutumnReading2022 #AGuidetotheWorldofDementia