DEMENTIA`S CHILDREN < The words “Dementia “ and Children “ don’t usually go together, but the last three weeks reading posts on the “Dementia Aware” Facebook Page and other media sites, now I am not so sure, and here`s why> Over the last three weeks or so I have read so many stories where people have posted about their mums and dads being diagnosed under the age of 60 years old and how these “Children” also have “Children” themselves. Some have called this the “SANDWICH GENERATION” which is a great analogy, but I do feel we all have our own “take” on this. So, I suppose the question is? Is dementia more prevalent in younger people these days? And why? In my humble opinion, I don’t think it is, but what I do think is that Dementia in younger people has ALWAYS been there, but disguised, and/or/ called something else and because of today`s heightened awareness of this disease its becoming more noticeable and recognized as dementia. May have blamed Aluminium, E Additives, red meat and so on, we have heard it all, but the truth is it’s a disease that’s been around since man/woman was born. So? What of those being diagnosed earlier? As you know I myself am “One of those people” as I was diagnosed aged 50 yrs old and now nearly 57 years old in mid-September this year. How many of those who have been diagnosed under 60 years old ever thought for one minute the problems they were having were because of Dementia Symptoms? What did they think when they were told this, and how did they tell their children that something which was considered “Senile Dementia” until recently was happening to them before they reach 60 years old ? Also, how do those who I now call “Dementia`s children” cope with this news? Most of them probably have children themselves, maybe even teenagers to look after, and now they have to look after their parents as well??? How they must panic when their loved ones start to slip into late stages aged 55-60 yrs old and only find it their HORROR that there are no provisions for people this age! No care homes, no benefit system or disability rules regarding Young dementia and nowhere to turn. Imagine this, your mum or dad who are under 60 years old have just told you they have an incurable disease, a disease which many people think that only happens to old people, (Thankfully we do know now it’s a disease of the brain and not SOLELY connected with Age). You yourself have just brought your kids up and are now teenagers. This is a time you should be kicking back and relaxing, this is a time for you and your husband, never in your wildest dreams would you have ever taken up a job as a carer, but now you are thrust into the complex world, of care, Direct payments, power of attorney and everything that comes along with this awful disease!!! THIS IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN now because of heightened awareness and because of Diagnosis rates of dementia going up. This is the minefield we had to get through when I was myself diagnosed only 6 years ago. The agony of telling the grown up children, the grandchildren (Where appropriate), friends and family. HOW MANY MORE DISEASES AROUND THE WORLD CAN YOU THINK OF THAT ARE TERMINAL????? Not that many I would bet, and yet “Dementia`s children have all this to put up with!! So please the next time you hear people talk of Young dementia , or the next time you hear about someone, like myself who was diagnosed aged just 50 yrs old or thereabouts, please remember there are so many people , other that the person themselves who are diagnosed, that this awful disease affects. So much upset and Dementia`s ripples are felt a lot farther than you may have first thought. We MUST Have more education about this, we MUST talk openly about this and we MUST Get people to LISTEN!! Please join us on the Official Purple Angel website and find out why we are supporting YOUNG DEMENTIA UK this year, and please remember Together we are strong Quote from Norrms “”” When the day does come that a cure for dementia is found, AND IT WILL, On that day, dementia itself will become just a mere memory, how ironic is that?? !!!!! purpleangel-global/index.html PLEASE ALL SHARE
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 13:12:02 +0000
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