Dementia, the Sneaky Thief

Dementia is mental disorder that causes memory loss, a decline in intellectual and language skills, difficulties with motor skills and judgement.  It can be caused by a variety of diseases or conditions.  In Gladys’ case, her dementia was the result of a massive stroke, heart attack and seizures that occurred in a very short time span.

Gladys has lived with us now for two years, over which my family and I have witnessed her steady decline.  At first her symptoms declined gradually but in the past four months it has been difficult to keep up with her mental and physical changes.

Why I Call Dementia a Sneaky Thief

I started calling dementia a sneaky thief about six months ago when Gladys could no longer go the the bathroom without assistance.  It was as though someone snuck into her room and stole a life skill that so many of us take for granted:  pull down pants, sit on commode, use toilet, stand up, pull up pants.  A simple life skill that disappeared like a thief in the night.

At that time, Gladys still remembered to go to the bathroom but she would sit on the commode with her pants still up.  She had no idea that she had not performed the necessary task of pulling her pants down.  Dementia stole her ability to reason.

Right now dementia is just waiting to snatch away a few more of Gladys’ life skills that are teetering on the cusp of disability:

• swallowing medicine
• standing and walking
• feeding herself
• use of her left arm and leg

A thief is someone who steals something from someone else with the intent of keeping it (or selling it).  Over time, dementia steals so many of our life skills.  Simple things that we take for granted – things we do without thinking.

These are just a few of the things that my family deals with.  If you are a caregiver, what has the sneaky thief stolen from your loved one?

Note:  Image of the brain from http://faculty.washington.edu

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