Carmen Birkholz

People suffering from dementia tend to experience a sense of loss akin to bereavement as the life they have known slips away from them. Their own reaction and experiences, coupled with society’s response, can lead to trauma and feelings of sadness, both for the sufferer and those dear to them. An understanding of this sadness can be a useful aid to building links with those suffering from dementia; emotions and behaviour become easier to comprehend and empathy becomes possible as people draw on their own experience of sadness to level with the sufferer. Hence, in accompanying the sufferer on their journey, it can be useful to refer to one’s own understanding of grief and mourning. By regarding the journey of those suffering from dementia as a way of saying good-bye to life it becomes easier to treat the sufferer with respect and preserve their dignity. Regarding the suffering of people with dementia as similar to experiences following bereavement challenges the view of dementia as an illness requiring medication, which is the general view held by society. Professionals who work in community care of the elderly, and staff in palliative geriatric hospitals, have noted that, in order to preserve the dignity of sufferers, it is essential to follow an approach that is centred around individual needs, as promoted by people like Tom Kitwood and Naomi Feil. This book combines resources developed as a result of actual interaction with sufferers with invaluable approaches to understanding grief and mourning. Apart from the sadness experienced by sufferers it also considers the long and lonely path followed by carers and relatives in their own journey of sadness. The book looks at a variety of approaches to understanding dementia and looks for ways that will help those who accompany sufferers on their journey. It gives examples of everyday practice and experiences. Finally, it examines the role hospices play in end of life care and how they can support the friends and relatives of sufferers, whether they themselves suffer from dementia, or not.