It seems clear that the decline of reasoning ability, almost universally noted as one of most obvious consequences of the development of Alzheimer’s, releases in some individuals emotional and creative capacities which may previously have been hidden. This forces us to confront the person in their essential self, and gives us the opportunity to value them for this rather than for any other qualities (economic, political, intellectual) which society has pushed into the foreground. This self manifests itself in terms of such virtues as honesty, spontaneity and the capacity to live to the full in the moment rather than clouding it with concerns of past or future.
I will illustrate this idea with a quote each from a carer and a person with dementia. The carer is an American, Beverly Murphy, who says:
If you believe in the concept of a soul, then you have to believe that the soul doesn’t get Alzheimer’s any more than it gets cancer.…..Maybe, just maybe, our people have the unique experience of being able to live in two worlds, ours and a freer one that allows them access to insights and awareness we can’t even begin to fathom.
And the person with dementia is Christine Boden, an Australian:
This unique essence of ‘me’ is at my core, and this is what will remain with me to the end. I will be perhaps even more truly ‘me’ than I have ever been.In the writings and speeches of persons with dementia and their carers there are an increasing number of instances of statements of this kind. It may well be that not only have we much to learn from them about how this most mysterious of mental health conditions affects individuals, but there is knowledge of the nature of the spiritual to be imparted as well. In the coming months I and my colleague Kate Allan hope to be exploring these, and a number of other profound concepts (communication, creativity for example) in a series of workshops for this organization.
Beverly Murphy (2004) in Voices of Alzheimer’s ed.
Betsy Peterson Da Capo Press, Cambridge MA USA p.163
Christine Boden (1997) Who Will I Be When I Die?
Harper Collins London p. 49-50
FiOP is delighted that John Killick, one of our valued trainers, has been appointed as Writer in Residence with Alzheimer's Scotland.
In addition he will also be acting as the facilitator for an improvised drama group attached to the Scottish Dementia Working Group based in Glasgow and Dundee, with effect from November 2009.
This work has been enabled through a grant from the Lottery.'
