Wow! Excellent article. I have to say, I was not "dementia aware" until my mom was diagnosed in 2009. There were things I learned as I went along, and then when the doctor told me that it was dementia, all I could think was, that explains a lot. I learned a lot during her illness, and sometimes when I thought I had it all figured out, there would be another bump in the road. When she would go to the hospital for ailments (congestive heart failure), severe UTI's, pneumonia, etc., she would come out with what seemed like another chunk of her memory gone and was very confused for some time, but she never would fully recover. She passed away in August of 2012, and after all was said and done, I realized I knew more about dementia than I cared to admit. This site is great because there are people here who know what it's like to be a caregiver to a loved one and hopefully can pass that on to others so that more people will become "dementia aware". Thanks again for a great article. I've said this before, but I'll risk repeating it, I wish I knew about this site when mom was diagnosed, it may have helped me to get through it better knowing more about what was happening. God bless all of you who share your experiences, advice, and stories here.

Since I have been diagnosed with "forgetfulness" possibly dementia, I find this article somewhat interesting. I talk quite freely with anyone about my forgetfulness, even using the word dementia quite freely. I find that most people offer their services, or just a hand or point down the clinic hallway to help out. They seem to know at least what the word means. Just my opinion.

I worked at a facility that offered PT, OT and vocational training for people with disabilities. My clients taught me about their disabilities. Otherwise, I probably would still be unaware.

It's like cancer or ALS or Lupus or any of a number of other conditions. When it becomes personal to you, you pay a lot more attention. As the boomers move into seniority, there will be much more familiarity. No one will be untouched by it. But I'm getting most of my information now from health experts and others with loved ones going through the same thing, because people with dementia aren't usually able to tell you what they need.

It is sadly ironic to have people raise their voice as if the dementia patient is deaf! Then there is the wait staff who go out of their way to accommodate the ill person. They understand.

I agree with what you say, Rick. Something else I've seen is that most people don't seem to want to become dementia aware. They aren't interested in things that they generally think of as being diseases of the elderly. I've found I can post a cute picture of a puppy dog on Facebook and get a page of comments. If I post something on dementia or stroke or anything really important, I'm lucky if I even get one like, much less a lot of comments. People want to think of cute pups, while turning their eyes away from a disease that lowers the quality of life for millions.

I watched Bill Gates the other day talking about the probability of an epidemic being the next huge spike in worldwide mortality. Of course, he is probably right. His attention is focused on the young and working class, which is fine with what the Gates Foundation is trying to accomplish. The truth for the older people and those "blessed" with early-onset genes is the epidemic already seems to be here. Since it occurs in later years, it doesn't pull at people's heart strings and fears. The caregivers are younger, but I rarely even see them mentioned. They are an invisible force.

About dementia aware when it comes to restaurants and cities, I don't know. I believe if there was a lot of money coming in because of dementia awareness or if the government mandated changes, then places would become more dementia aware. Many people with dementia don't go out much, so I don't know if businesses would invest too many resources. I'd like to learn more about what dementia awareness would entail.

No one in my family of grandparents, aunts and uncles or even my parents had/have dementia. Therefore I never paid any attention to this. It wasn't until I started working at a new company where the owner's wife had Alzheimer's..... then and only then I was learning daily the trials and tribulations of caring for someone with major memory issues as my boss would share his experiences.

We won't get more attention until more well known or famous Hollywood types find themselves experiencing a diagnosis of dementia... and allowing the public to follow them through their journey. Usually we hear when an actor passes on that he/she had memory issues.... like singer Perry Como and actor Charles Bronson. President Ronald Reagan had Alzheimer's but it was kept pretty silent from the public.

I definitely agree with all you said, as a health care provider as well as a caretaker.
No one know unless they walk in your shoes; not me or anyone.

I really enjoy all you have to share.
Reality??
I don't know??
Perception IS.....