Living With Dementia

I was searching the website for poems and found this one which touch my heart as my own mother is suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's and she to has good days as we do. thanks.

Dementia is a hard thing to take, i just cannot work out if its harder for you or harder for your love one?

To answer my own question, I won’t forget
those visits to the home to see mother.
What a joy to see her smiling face
as she turned and said, “Are you my brother”.

What could I say? The truth? Of course.
“No mother, its me, your son John”
What a joy to see her smiling face
She replied, “My son! Have I got one?”

The home to her was like a prison
and many times she said, “Do I live here?”
It was a joy to see her smiling face
I forgot how many times I said, “Yes dear.”

From 80 to 90 dementia destroyed her
until she was taken into Gods grace.
I hope he knows just what he as taken?
When he looks with joy at mums smiling face.

Hi my name is Karen and I work in a home for people with dementia, it is the most heartbreaking job that I have ever done and I love them all. They have touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain, if I can make them smile, I go home smiling, if they have a bad day I go home feeling sad, they are people who still have feelings. I am just one of many who feel this way. people are often frightened of dementia because they do not understand, but they are people like you and me, but they are trapped in a world of their own.

wow, this really touched me, my grandfather had Alzheimer's disease, and I know how you felt. he soon forgot how to walk, talk, and he didn't know anybody. he passed 3 years this coming April 15th, he's no longer sick.! - Great poem, it was beautifully written

Wow... I loved this poem and will have to share it with my family! Both my stepdad and my Pawpaw have Picks disease, a type of dementia. This is such a horrible thing... But then you'll have days where it's like the old him is back! I always say its better to laugh than cry.

In 1978 my mom had a breakdown and so to help we added a wing onto our home in 1985 so I could help out. In 1990 my dad became partially paralyzed and a few years later he suffered with Parkinson's disease until his death in 2000. After my father's death my mother's dementia started to progress. Needless to say at age 66 I have burned out being the only Caregiver! Because I want the best for my mother I want to place her in a GOOD home where she can be watched over both day and night, but I'm getting the wrath of God from many for upsetting my mom. I'd like to share that Caring for your aging parent is a hard job and friends and family should care about the caregiver's well-being too!!!! I want my mom to be in a safe environment where she can be watched 24/7 and I can start enjoying my kids again and my grandkids...does that make me bad????

Hi, beautiful poem.
Dementia is the saddest thing ever. I too am going through it with my mum, I'm so sad constantly I can't believe how many people are going through this. My heart is with you all god bless you xxx

I love this poem it describes my mother so well, as she has since passed in April of this year it will be 4 years My mother had Alzheimer's, and it was the saddest thing to see my mother go through such a terrible disease. I know LOVE conquers everything!! I embraced my mother everyday with LOVE and UNDERSTANDING until she passed away!

My Grandfather had memory lapses and passed away recently and this poem remind me so much of him , some days he couldn't remember me other days he could.

This poem reminded me so of my darling mother, she passed away in July of 2012, after living for about a decade with AD. It's always hard to place your love one in someone else's care, but with AD in the advanced stages, it's the kindest thing to do. This horrible disease steals the mind of your love and leaves them with a shell of a body.