A more positive way, to cope with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and dementia, from a newsletter I received, in Chinese, translated by me…
Four years ago, as Tomofumi Tanno was diagnosed as being mildly demented, he was only thirty-nine. And now, he’s still in the workforce, continuing contributing what he can to society, and he’d given a speech on the ADI Kyoto Alzheimer’s Conference Opening Ceremonies.
“Although I’d made a lot of speeches, but I feel, very unsettled in such a forum, standing here on stage. Because, although, there are still beliefs that ‘someone who can make a speech like this can’t be diagnosed with dementia’ exists. And yet, there are, opportunities of those who’d been diagnosed here on stage, making the speeches today.
The reason why I’d wanted to talk with you is because having been diagnosed with dementia isn’t the end. I hope that my speech can ease the minds of those who had been diagnosed, and are panicking, that even as the diagnoses are confirmed, we can still flash our beautiful smiles, and live on, with energy.”
“Up to date, the belief of those who are demented became incapable of handling anything, and that they’d needed protection still exists. In Scotland, those diagnosed with dementia spoke out directly, and there are, many support groups stepping up, how are they able to do that?” “At first, I’d only talked with those diagnosed with dementia in Scotland about the prejudices, the supports, etc., etc., etc., but from my conversations with them, I’d felt, a different point of view compared to the Japanese. Meaning, that even as the illness progressed, those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s still held the consciousness of “I must do what I have to do on my own, and the supports from outside are merely to give the assistance at minimum’. I truly hope, I can, coexist in peace with my dementia too.
not the only option someone has after being diagnosed…not my photo…
In Scotland, the supporter of those diagnosed with dementia is this: alleviate their stresses, help them become independent, and help them rid of their unsettlement, the three keys. And I believe, for the Japanese people, it’s relieve the stresses, help them rid of their unsettlement, and, protect them (meaning not doing anything for them). The Alzheimer’s patients in Scotland believed, that even as the illness progressed, they’d still wanted to maintain some form of autonomy in their own lives. And so, I felt, that how the support is shown, and how to help the demented individuals maintain her/his own sense of the self, that is what’s different between Japan and Great Britain.
The key point in achieving independence is in “making my own choices”, “can I live the life I want to have”, for those who can imagine the way their lives should be. And, for those demented in our culture, the task is, not just protecting them, but, to reach the goals, we must, utilize the supports from those around. And yet, in Japan, the caretaking measures of the demented had, stopped at protecting them. But I believe, that only through protecting them, can we, reduce the deterioration of the abilities.
The demented in Scotland are proud that even as there are, risk, the families don’t place the restrictions, and which is why the demented elderly are still full of self-confidence, they’d kept working, knowing that they’re not troubles for anybody else. Carrying the “I can do it” self-confidence. But this is now how ALL of Scotland’s demented population’s belief, only a part. And yet, for those who’d lived with this positive attitude, after ten years, they are still, smiling on”
Not only in Japan, there are those who’d believed, that the demented patients can’t do anything, that being diagnosed is equivalent to the death sentence, and since, the individual became, the one who needed to get looked after. But, Mr. Tanno, used his own experience, along with the experiences of those in Scotland as a source of inspiration, it’d shown us, that with the help that come in time, those diagnosed with dementia CAN live on independently!
And so, this, is a positive view after the diagnoses of dementia was made for someone, this man didn’t give up, and let dementia take over his life, instead, he’d, treated it like any of the normal illnesses (high-blood pressure, heart condition, etc., etc., etc.) and worked hard, to coexist with it peacefully, and this man is using HIS example, to help inspire others with dementia, that there is, an alternative way, of coping positive with this illness.