Dementia, or the loss of memory, is tragic. I can speak from personal encounters with patients suffering from memory loss. The patient’s short term memory can become very short. Long term memories, like the basic learned behaviors, can become forgotten. Its disturbing to see how an adult eats like an animal, by lowering the face down to the cutlery. When its time to take a drink from their water bottle inside their carry bag, the patient drinks from the bottle. By uncorking the bottle cap, and lifting the whole bag with the bottle, up to their mouth. The images remain with me for years.
Prompts from Reena’s Xploration Challenge #375 : dementia or amnesia.
I was not aware of these symptoms.
I saw a doctor retain his professional competence while forgetting that he had breakfast.
Every patient maybe different. That doctor has his long term memories of his medical training because that part of his brain is unaffected. His short term memory is not good because the latest memories are not retained well due to the onset of dementia. This disorder has spoiled the ability to remember recent memories like having eaten breakfast earlier in the morning.
How sad and disheartening, Cai! I’m sure those experiences take a toll on you.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com