Someone on a frontotemporal dementia online support group recently suggested this “Senior Living Blog” post on anosognosia, which is a lack of awareness of impairment. Though this post is focused on Alzheimer’s Disease, I believe it can affect those with non-AD dementias as well, such as LBD, PSP, and CBD.
Obviously if the family member has anosognosia, this is a difficult situation for the caregiver who wants to provide care and work with physicians to provide treatment. Of course many of us think that our family member must be in a state of denial, when it’s really anosognosia. Sarah Stevenson, the author of the “Senior Living Blog” post, addresses all of these issues.
Ms. Stevenson wisely draws on an AlzOnline article about anosognosia; it’s one of the best articles I’ve read. See this email from 2009:
www.brainsupportnetwork.org/dealing-with-anosognosia-unawareness-of-decline-or-difficulties/
Ms. Stevenson also offers this suggestion: Try reading “I Am Not Sick. I Don’t Need Help!” by psychologist Xavier Amador, a professor at Columbia University. This book “provides practical recommendations for those who lack insight into their mental illnesses.”
Here’s a link to the post:
www.aplaceformom.com/blog/3-4-14-anosognosia-and-alzheimers/
Senior Living Blog
Anosognosia and Alzheimer’s
A Place for Mom
By: Sarah Stevenson
Posted On 22 Mar 2016
Good luck!
Robin