By Tom Mark

A Caregiver’s Perspective On Dementia

Jan 12, 2018 | 7:17 AM

The conversation around dementia moves to another level this week as the Alzheimer Society of BC builds on its campaign to bring more Awareness to it.

A survey shows many Canadians diagnosed with dementia don’t like to talk about it because of negative attitudes they may face.

From the perspective of a caregiver, like Sandy Campbell, whose husband suffers from vascular dementia, it’s an enlightning journey.

“I was very fortunate to have some people who have come alongside and been close and stuck with us to the end and others it was likely suddenly we were not included like we had been before.”

Sandy feels that was due to a lack of information and understanding.

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She urges other caregivers to feel free to educate people around them to help them understand how to respond in an appropriate way.

“It was a very deliberate choice to ‘ No” I will not turn inward. I will look outward. I will make sure that the people around me know what’s really going on behind closed doors.”

She says that’s the only way other people can understand the journey caregivers and their loved one go through.

“We make judgement on others based on what we see in public. Five minutes with them in public or seeing them in a group or in a social setting and that was totally not representative of the journey that I had with my husband.”

Sandy says helping others be more aware also helped her with her own emotions.

She encourages empathy, and hopes that people who need help will ask for it.

Sandy and others invite people to hear their stories and take a few pointers from them on how to be open and accepting towards people living with dementia.

Their stories are featured on a dedicated campaign website, where visitors will also find tips on how to be more dementia friendly, activities to test their knowledge and other resources to take action against stigma and be better informed about a disease that has the potential to affect everyone.

You can go to ilivewithdementia.ca

by Tom Mark