When I was interviewing one of my friends with dementia for my book on living with early stage memory loss, we talked about the enhanced creativity that many people with memory loss experience. She asked a great question:

“Is Alzheimer’s really a disease or is it an evolutional step?”

Mona Johnson
The Tangled Neuron

Thanks for pointing out the NY Times story. I noticed that Alzheimer’s is mentioned as the disease where “patients” should NOT have choices. Hmmm…

Maybe a dementia pride movement requires inspiration. How about yet another Alzheimer’s novel/movie - this time about a person with dementia who rejects the victim stereotype and lives a full life, despite cognitive challenges.

We watched Rory O’Shea Was Here last night - a movie about a man with cerebral palsy who leaves a “home for the disabled” to find freedom and dignity. OK, maybe the ending is predictable and it’s a bit overwrought in parts, but it makes you think about the “personhood” of people with all kinds of disabilities.

Mona Johnson
The Tangled Neuron

I read this book shortly after I read Nickled and Dimed, another example of immersion journalism. That book’s bleak picture of what happens when paid caregivers are not given social, financial and spiritual support is a bitter antidote to Lauren Kessler’s prescription.