My extended family meets every year at the lake up north. In 2016, my aunt who lives in another part of the state was talking about how her husband wasn’t feeling well. His vision had decreased, he seemed confused sometimes, and she wasn’t sure about bringing him to the lake where there are lots of hills to navigate and would take him from his daily familiar routine. I offered to stay with him for the weekend so she could go and enjoy her relatives. The second day, I was preparing our lunch when his demeanor changed and he started making comments that were sexually explicit and inappropriate. I couldn’t believe my uncle was talking to me that way. Her son’s girlfriend, who was a nurse, overheard: “Oh, that sounds just like the dementia patients I deal with everyday!” Everyone close to my uncle had been living in denial about the changes in his daily life. After doing some reading, I realized my uncle talked that way because his brain was deteriorating. Since then, I’ve been determined to normalize dementia and memory loss instead of having it be a topic people are afraid to address. I love that our group puts education and awareness at the forefront!
