What I Wish People Knew About Dementia: From Someone Who Knows

Product Information

Dementia is described as early onset or young onsetwhen the person displays symptoms before the age of 65. Why? Because so much of what we read about dementia is written by observers not those living with it. And understanding what dementia might be (there are many different forms) and how it might manifest (not the same for everyone) is not the same as reading about how it impacts on the individuals living with it. It’s reasonably rare for someone living with dementia to write their own experience, and Mitchell is now a powerful and much-loved voice within the dementia community. Her work has helped raise awareness of the illness, advocate for improved services and support, and – perhaps most importantly – ensured that people living with dementia are not just talked about, but included, consulted and listened to when it comes to considering how society approaches an illness that touches so many of us.

I used to worry and try to fix things for everybody before, but I don’t tend to worry about anything now. I get anxious about it, but I think, “I can’t do anything about it now,” so I tend not to try and fix things for others. I had a bad accident before my dementia – I got hit by a car – and from then I learned things were out of my control. I do worry about my family, but I don’t worry about life or myself. I don’t worry about my future, whereas I used to before.” Like Mitchell, What I Wish People Knew About Dementia is both informative and full of heart. Those who read it will learn more about dementia. I suspect, they’ll also learn about themselves. I have to say I didn't enjoy this book as much as Wendy Mitchell's first, Somebody I Used to Know. This one is somewhat repetitive. For enjoyment I would give it 3.5 stars but because of what I learned, and because I am amazed that she was able to write both books since her diagnosis of Alzheimers, it is a 5 star. What can a diseased brain tell us about being human, living our own lives better and helping those with dementia get the best from theirs? Wendy writes a blog Which Me Am I Today as she says: “It will hopefully convey the helplessness of those diagnosed with dementia, as there is no cure – the end is inevitable.People with dementia (and people who live with and care for them) know that much of the suffering and havoc that the illness can bring comes not from the condition itself, but from the way the world treats people who live with it. Mitchell learned this the hard way: her life, and her sense of who she was in that life, was demolished when she first got the diagnosis of early onset dementia and it took her many years to work out strategies that enabled her to “live well with dementia” (though she dislikes that phrase for its implication that some people fail to live well). Dementia together magazine is for all Alzheimer’s Society supporters and anyone affected by the condition. Essential reading for those living with dementia, those who support them, professionals working in the field and any 'curious individual' . . . Her message for those given a dementia diagnosis is to never give up on themselves

An honest account of a dementia journey, providing valuable insights and fresh perspectives on living with dementia. Here's how, with your support, Age UK is supporting older people through the cost of living crisis.

What were those methods?

I have found that many of my friends who have dementia gave up their jobs without even telling their employers because of the stigma.” A must-read . . . It offers readers a practical and really honest guide to life after a diagnosis of dementia . . . For anyone who's beginning this journey, I couldn't recommend it higher' In the moment I stop and think 'can this be real or not?' ... I've learnt not to panic because if you panic everything gets ten times worse."