1 / 15

Dementia diagnosis from a PWiD’s perspective

Dementia diagnosis from a PWiD’s perspective. Christine Bryden. Where does our journey start?. Confusion ... Tiredness ... Stressed ... Life’s like a confusing roundabout!. The trials of testing. Neuropsychological tests Brain scans Other tests Fear and dread Embarrassment

donkor
Download Presentation

Dementia diagnosis from a PWiD’s perspective

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Dementia diagnosis from a PWiD’s perspective Christine Bryden

  2. Where does our journey start? • Confusion ... • Tiredness ... • Stressed ... • Life’s like a confusing roundabout!

  3. The trials of testing • Neuropsychological tests • Brain scans • Other tests • Fear and dread • Embarrassment • Clinging to the hope it can be cured!

  4. Black and white reality of a scan

  5. The “dementia script”!!! • “You have dementia.” • “There is no cure.” • “You have about 5 years till you are ‘demented’ ... • … then you can expect to live about another 3 years.”

  6. Shock of diagnosis and horror of prognosis • A turning point … • trauma, disbelief or relief • Awful awareness of future • our world has collapsed • everything has changed • We face a defeat of spirit and of hope!

  7. Our identity crisis • Loss of identity • Who am I? • Will anyone respect me? • Who will I be when I die?

  8. We both become victims ... • I thought my world would end • A mix of emotions … fear, dread • Didn’t know much about dementia

  9. Withdrawing into denial ... • I was scared … angry … to think Mum wouldn’t know me. • The only way I could cope • was to withdraw to my horse

  10. Carers, martyrs and sufferers? • I was very concerned for Mum and took care of a lot of things at home ... although I “lost it” couple of times and cried my eyes out. • I needed to be there for her.

  11. Care-partner • Not smothered by your care, • nor isolated by your denial, • nor cast aside as a victim of your grief. • But a care-partner walking alongside to meet our increasing needs

  12. Stigma of dementia social isolation • Myths and fears about dementia lead to stigma • This gives us a “degenerating sense of nobodiness” • (Martin Luther King) • We are isolated by the stigma of dementia

  13. But there is hope! • Inform us • Give us treatment • Offer legal help • Offer emotional support • Encourage us to be positive • We can reach for the stars together!

  14. Making music with what’s left • We celebrate a new life in the slow lane, • as we try to find the pearls within us. • Our attitude transforms the pattern of our life, • so we are no longer victims but survivors

  15. Sharing this journey from diagnosis to death • We have been liberated from fear of ceasing to be. • Let’s work together to thread a new necklace of life from the pearls we have discovered.

More Related