Do not forget me

The diagnosis of dementia and so much life still to be lived

Beyond the disease, there remain people with their feelings, their emotions, their needs and their rights. There is always an individuality and uniqueness that must be taken into consideration and those with dementia remain members of society.

It is a feeling of awe and fear, for what is but above all for what it could be and become in the future. Realizing, for oneself or for another person, that there is something wrong with some mental functions that up until that moment had not caused the slightest problem: memory that goes away, language and communication that become more difficult, the ability to concentrate and pay attention becomes impaired, visual perception becomes blurred, reasoning and judgment abilities weaken. It is what is called "dementia", a subtle, aggressive and often incurable pathology, which progressively nullifies the physical and mental abilities of the individual, erasing the memories of a lifetime.

“Dementia” is not a specific disease, but a general term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with decline in memory or other thinking skills, severe enough to reduce a person's ability to carry out daily activities. The majority of cases are linked to Alzheimer's disease, followed by vascular dementia (which occurs after a stroke) but these are not the only types of dementia. Although there are some that are reversible, they are usually progressive, irreversible diseases which are also difficult to diagnose. And it is not at all true that they represent a normal characteristic of aging: this belief, which manifests itself in the habit of speaking of "senile dementia", is very widespread but in reality completely incorrect.

Today in Italy the most reliable estimates speak of one million and 400 thousand people with dementia. A diagnosis which, when it arrives, not only involves the people directly affected by the disease, but also those around them. Entire families who, suddenly, find themselves alone facing two tragedies: that of the pathology itself and that of the stigma and social marginalization that the lack of information on the topic brings with it. Yet, after the diagnosis of dementia there is still a lot of life to live. Beyond the disease, there remain people with their feelings, their emotions, their needs and their rights. There is always an individuality and uniqueness that must be taken into consideration and those with dementia remain members of society. Not a simple number or a problem.

A campaign by the Alzheimer Federation Italy called Don't forget to love me invites each of us to become friends with people with dementia, to break down the wall of isolation that often surrounds them, thus contributing to the creation of a society that is more attentive to feelings and emotions. and the needs of those affected by the disease. It is a way, one of many, of supporting and accompanying the fragilities that are close to us, even if we often do not see them or recognize them. And to become aware and informed citizens who work daily to break down the stigma surrounding the disease, creating a more inclusive society.

Stefano Caredda

NP Dicembre 2023