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An exercise for you:
This question I am going to ask is a great question you could ask when discussing attitudes and perceptions for people living with a form of dementia, and their support partners who live with this condition as much as we do. 1/8
This question I am going to ask is a great question you could ask when discussing attitudes and perceptions for people living with a form of dementia, and their support partners who live with this condition as much as we do. 1/8
Scenario: I want you to picture in your mind that every single comment or action that comes out of your mouth can be heard or read by people with a diagnosis of dementia, and their support partners who walk this dementia journey. 2/8
Here is the million-dollar question: Would you change up your communication if you thought everyone was hearing your comments? 3/8
I am not trying to come after anyone with this question. In fact, I do not want an answer to this question. What I want is for anyone who is reading this to reach deep down and give yourself an honest answer to the question I have posed, one way or the other. 4/8
If your answer is yes, I would change up my communication, well, that would give me joy and I’ll tell you why. You are displaying a value I hold close to my heart and that is called honesty. 5/8
The other reason I respect the answer of yes to this question, is that I know you are experiencing “empathy”. You are displaying the ability to walk in someone else’s shoes and understand why maybe you are thinking of changing how you speak about dementia. 6/8
There are four values I hold close to my heart when I publicly speak about dementia: empathy, dignity, respect and most of all, kindness. If your comments do not reflect these values when you communicate, something is wrong. 7/8
So, next time you think about posting that Alzheimer’s joke on public media (for example) stop and think about how you will be perceived. Stop and think about “everyone” listening. Stop and think about empathy, dignity, respect, and most of all, kindness. 8/8
