Apart from one caption saying ‘suffer from dementia’, this video I thought was excellent.
Sube gives a very clear definition of dementia which I really liked.
I think the point that dementia is not a part of ageing, but associated with ageing, is extremely important. I think we’re likely to have increasing concern that dementia can be difficult to diagnose in certain communities. For example, in some Asian communities, there is not even a word for ‘dementia’.
Missing from Sube’s account is the fact we can do something for people living with dementia, which is why I actively promote ‘living well with dementia’.
‘Living well with dementia’ might seem at first glance like a bit of a crap slogan, and actually quite offensive for those people who have witnessed loved ones in severe forms of dementia. But it’s an attempt to convey the idea that every individual with dementia is entitled to respect and dignity, and there is much we can do to enable people to live well with dementia by a careful study of the person and his or her environment.
It is apart from anything else the name of the 2009 English strategy, which Sube co-wrote, and which is about to be renewed.
This video is of course particularly timely for ‘Dementia Awareness Week’ running from May 18-24 2014. Our Facebook page is here.
