Dementia and Dignity
Using respectful language when speaking to someone living with dementia not only honors their dignity, but also promotes an awareness that a dementia diagnosis does not define the person. Dementia does not take away a person’s dignity. People do.
There are many types of dementia and each person is an individual. When you have met one person with dementia, you have met one person with dementia, just as if you meet one athlete, you have met one athlete, because every one is different. We all have our individual personalities, likes and dislikes, preferences and needs, and dementia affects each person differently, so we must see the whole person.
A person does not cease to be who they are and change from and adult into a “child,” and they are definitely “an empty shell,” as sometimes perceived. It is our responsibility to learn and practice how to connect with the person where they are, and do things with the person, not for the person thus promoting independence, self-worth and of course dignity. Concluding all people with dementia are the same reinforces the stereotypes and stigma dementia brings.
When we support person’s living with a dementia holistically, we ensure we are not reducing our understanding of the person to one single aspect of dementia, but see the bigger picture and appreciate the many dimensions of who a person is on the inside.
If you would like more information on our Memory Ministry, Memory Café, or the Family and Friends Education Workshops, please contact Vicky Pitner at vpitner@firstumc.org.