John Zeisel, PhD, has developed a philosophy called “I’m Still Here” about how we treat someone with dementia. He says that people with dementia can have a life worth living.
There will be a PBS special in March titled “Hopeful Aging” that will review Dr. Zeisel’s philosophy. There’s a 4-minute trailer to the PBS special here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2IY7MhkUVk
In the trailer, he notes that there are seven myths about people with dementia:
1. They can’t remember.
2. They lose their identity.
3. They have no attention span.
4. They can’t make decisions.
5. There’s always an aggressive phase.
6. They can’t enjoy anything because they forget.
7. They can’t learn.
He says it’s natural to believe that our loved ones with dementia are not there, but it’s not always the case.
Here’s a blurb about “Hopeful Aging” published in Alzheimer’s Daily News:
“Journey through the aging brain with Dr. John Zeisel, explore the possibilities of learning and connection at any stage of life and discover proven strategies that help anyone get the best out of later life. Hopeful Aging is a program that focuses on the journey of brain aging. It brings together proven strategies to help everyone get the most out of their later life by harnessing the lessons of neuroscience with a revolutionary learning technique called C-MAP. Utilizing the principles in Hopeful Aging, viewers will see how a different approach to dementia and Alzheimers can help create a life worth living.”
Robin