How Do People With Alzheimer’s Really Feel?

If any of us experienced memory or judgment problems, if any of us was afraid of something, if any of us had to give up most or all of his or her favorite activities, it would be perfectly normal to be depressed or anxious, to hide things, to wander away from a possibly threatening situation or to strike out at someone we think is trying to hurt us. By +Marie Marley +Alzheimer's Reading Room  I’ve been publishing articles about Alzheimer’s disease for nearly two years. And, I have to admit almost all have focused on the caregiver. Many have focused specifically on what it feels like to be a caregiver. We can feel contentedness, pride and joy. We can feel elated whenever we make a meaningful connection with our loved one. We can also feel sadness and loneliness. At times we are angry, depressed and frustrated; at other times we may be embarrassed by our loved one’s behavior and we can feel sorry for ourselves that we have to go through this experience. The list goes on and on. But how does the person with dementia feel? Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room Email: Although I’ve thought and written about how to deal with various behaviors that result from the feelings of people with dementia, I am embarrassed to admit I’ve spent very little time contemplating how these people really feel deep down inside. I recently interviewed Teepa Snow, nationally renowned expert on Alzheimer’s caregiving. And I published an article here about he...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Dementia Authors: Source Type: blogs