Dementia: A Misunderstood Disability
A person living with and without a disability wants to experience a sense of belonging, feel accepted, and have a valued and meaningful purpose in their life. Having social relationships with friends, and staying active in their community promotes a life of quality. However, social inclusion of children and adults with disabilities continue to be a challenge due to a lack of education and awareness, and even disregarding the legal rights of those with a disability can occur. Discrimination of a group of people causes prejudices and preconceived beliefs of their abilities, needs, and feelings.
So is dementia a misunderstood disability? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
“A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).” This can include disabilities that affect a person’s thinking, remembering, movement, learning, communication, and social relationships.
From a legal standpoint, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability “as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities” and the person may qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits. People living with dementia are often discriminated against in the work force, even though the ADA makes it “unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.” Often people are “forced to retire” when they disclose a diagnosis of dementia at a work place and accommodations to adapt the job skills are seldom even considered.
Inclusion of all people in our communities is not just a legal right, but it is the right thing to do. So why do we not recognized that a person living with dementia is actually is living with a chronic disability? Could better education and understanding of what dementia is and is not help lessen the stigma that a diagnosis of dementia brings to both the person and the family?
When people are excluded from participating in every day community life, social isolation can occur and the loneliness and lack of stimulation can have adverse outcomes. We saw the sad and serious consequences of social isolation of our seniors living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keeping you and your family member active is your community, and especially in your church, is so important to reduce the loneliness that a diagnosis of dementia can bring. Staying connected with others improves overall well-being not only for the person with dementia, but also for the family and friends as well.
If you would like more information on our Memory Ministry, Memory Cafe, or support trainings we offer, please contact Vicky Pitner at vpitner@firstumc.org.