The need to include Dementia patients into the larger society is a task that must be treated with utmost sincerity. And treating the case of dementia with a bias regarding race or gender will amount to a misplaced priority, thus triggering discrimination among relatives of sufferers. The point is that dementia has come to stay; it is a challenge we must admit that it is before us, work towards finding a convenient way to manage it and learn to live with people who live with it.
Statistically, there are over 55 million cases of dementia; 60% of this number are said to live in middle or low-income countries. And according to a forecast by World Health Organisation, the numbers are expected to increase to 78 million in 2030, then 139 million in 2050 considering the rate at which people age in present society. So, with these figures, it has become obvious that we have a serious issue in our hands, and it must be treated as such.
We must also know that there is no shame in taking care of ourselves since it is part of aging. Isolating them will escalate their emotional health, igniting the feeling of paranoia. It has become common knowledge that extracting this set of people from those medical facilities to a more welcoming social model will give them a sense of belonging even when their minds are too concealed to recognize such gestures.
It’s ok if you wake up one morning and say to yourself, “I’m going to check in him/her in a dementia care near me.” But where it is wrong is when you continue to leave them there. Although dementia is a form of disability, social seclusion should never be an option. People living with dementia are still legal citizens and are very much privileged to freedom of association, and it will only be fair if we respect that right and guide them on how to live with their new condition.
The Ethics Behind Social Inclusion in Dementia Patients
Like we have earlier mentioned, all the human rights normal people enjoy should be enjoyed by people who have dementia. At no condition should these rights be changed even when their condition deteriorates further. They are free (and should be made free) to participate in any event or program or any other activity they wish to participate in, so far as it is not self-destructive. They should be guided in making choices just like every other normal person when the need arises. The surprising thing here is that some of the social setbacks these people who have dementia have are not even caused by dementia itself.
Most of these issues are caused by social attitudes and external factors; should these factors change, we won’t even need to talk or complain about the social integration of people who have dementia. Kitwood, in his 1997 research, made it clear when he suggests that the performance of dementia people in an environment depends on the support of the larger society as the condition progresses.
So, it all boils down to social etiquette. Finally, we must learn first to understand dementia, understand that we all age differently, that those who have it already and living with us still have a role to play in the development of any society. We should accept them as one of us and help them live through their present condition. Again, we will suggest that instead of looking for some Dementia care near me, we’d suggest you check out service listings on Senioridy.
