I have a confession: I made up the term “Dementia Acquired Racism.”
The term may not exist, but the concept is very real.
Many people think of Alzheimer’s and Dementia in terms of “forgetful old people.”
Reality can be far more challenging.
Dementia generally—and Alzheimer’s specifically—can cause a person to behave in ways that are very problematic, including:
- Confabulation – Unknowingly inventing stories.
- Kleptomania – Stealing things (often very low value).
- Prejudicial Comments – Racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.
- Psychosis – Dementia can cause delusions and hallucinations.
- Aggression – 30-50% of individuals suffering from dementia will show increased aggression.
- Sexualized behavior – 1.8%-25% (depending on the study) of individuals will have increased sexualized behavior.
- Violence – Up to 40% of individuals will show violence (usually towards caretakers).
Unfortunately, with the coming “Silver Tsunami,” there are about to be a LOT more people suffering from dementia.
The reason is that there are a LOT of baby boomers coming into the age where Alzheimer’s and Dementia become more likely.
I am sorry to offer another reason for existential terror and general dread. I know the news is already doing that…
Let me try to make it up with a quick tip for working with individuals suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s:
Choose your Battles
With the more severe issues listed above (e.g. violence and sexualized behavior) you cannot ignore them. You will have to set boundaries of acceptable behavior as best as you can.
For many issues, though, it is actually appropriate to avoid confronting the problem directly.
For example, if someone confabulating (inventing stories) or suffering from a delusion, experts recommend NOT correcting or arguing with them about it (unless it is dangerous).
This can be really hard, especially for people in the helping professions. We are hard-wired to want to help people find reality.
The easiest way to avoid an argument is actually pretty simple: change the subject!
If you are looking for more information about dementia, we are doing a live webinar this Thursday.
Have a fantastic week!
Peace,
Ryan
