The Caring Corner®
Who’s Got the Disability?
One of the problems with dementia is that you cannot see the physical changes taking place in the brain. Look at these two gentlemen.
Who’s got the disability? Many people say the man on right. After all, he’s in a wheelchair and his legs look atrophied. You would not ask him to go for jog in the neighborhood. Anyone can see that he can’t do it. Sadly, people who suffer with dementia have a real disability. We just can’t see it.
Look at these pictures of healthy and demented brains. The brain of a person with dementia is just as atrophied as the legs of the man in the wheelchair. If we could see his brain, we’d know that there are many things he is unable to do.
Yet, we talk to dementia sufferers as though they have healthy brains. We might argue with them when they get confused about the day of the week or the last time we came to visit. We get upset with them for silly reasons.
The next time you interact with a dementia sufferer, remember that his disability is real. When he fails to do a task or remember something, he is not giving you a hard time, he is having a hard time.
Dementia is the invisible disability.
