Stealing Hope
I have not agreed with the Alzheimer’s Association’s fear-based, stigma-fueling marketing campaign for many years. But exploiting Gene Wilder feels particularly egregious.
Continue ReadingInstead of the fear, stigma and shame many associate with the phenomenon of dementia, reveal the resilience, human connection and wellbeing that is available to us all.
I have not agreed with the Alzheimer’s Association’s fear-based, stigma-fueling marketing campaign for many years. But exploiting Gene Wilder feels particularly egregious.
Continue ReadingAll of these can be perceived as ‘deficits’ but they can also be perceived as changes. Using this viewpoint, there is room for the difficulty associated with these changes to be challenging, yet fruitful. Deficits call to be fixed. Changes call to be embraced and understood.
Continue ReadingWe owe it to ourselves and our communities to stand up and demand that, while we await development of a cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, resources are to also be spent on figuring out how to live well with dementia.
Continue ReadingI think it’s time to challenge a bit of the language being used to advocate for people living with dementia. The negative effects of stigmatizing language are huge, and our language choices are often the places where such stigma starts or ends.
Continue ReadingA name can be a powerful thing and I still struggle with knowing the best term for the phenomenon we know as dementia. Can we come up with a name that captures both the challenges and the joys of people experiencing it?
Continue ReadingSocial stigma or other barriers often prevent people living with dementia from remaining involved and connected to their communities. That’s where efforts like Don and Donni Reddington’s Ride4Alzheimer’s – and other initiatives promoting dementia-friendly communities – can make such a difference.
Continue ReadingMusic and Memory is a great tool for engagement for people living with dementia (and everyone), within the context of a deeper transformational approach to support and care. It is not a magic bullet, and we need to stop expecting to find a magic bullet. There is no substitute for relationships, meaningful engagement in all aspects of life, and shifting our systems to support different ways of living and caring.
Continue ReadingThrough reducing the negative, shameful and dishonoring messages so commonly spread via stigma, we can offer instead more viable pollination which hopefully will mature into fruits of dignity.
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