In the final years of my grandfather’s life he’d received a dementia diagnosis which progressed relatively quickly. I reckon the loss of his wife a few years prior, Covid isolation, a few falls and his age (he died at 95) contributed to his rapid changes.
Dementia is a huge topic I hadn’t expected to hit so close to home and caretaking for people with dementia seems to be one of the most challenging and gritty experiences one can undertake. I have huge amounts of respect for anyone working in the field whether it’s in-home care for a family member or as an employee of a memory care facility and all the places in between. I keep my finger on the pulse of current conversations around dementia care and really loved the idea of “dementia villages” as described in this NY Times article.
Dementia villages are intended to “‘emancipate people living with dementia and include them in society’…by offering residents (and their families) humanized care that feels more like home.” Read on and tell me what you think!
As Cases Soar, ‘Dementia Villages’ Look Like the Future of Home Care (NY Times article)
What’s our experience, assumptions and thoughts about this topic? How would you like your care to look should you receive a dementia diagnosis? Have you written that down and told someone?