|
The Real Problem with Joe's Dementia
[American Thinker] Many Americans seem to have understandably concluded that Joe Biden has dementia based on his very public displays of confusion, aphasia, and incoherence. But the question we should actually be asking is What is going on with Joe out of public view? Like many Americans who have cared for parents with dementia, I witnessed my father’s decline firsthand and, sadly, Joe Biden is presenting exactly as my father did in the early stages -- right down to the vacant look in his eyes. While I am neither doctor nor expert, physicians and other medical professionals rely heavily on caregiver observations because they monitor the disease’s progression 24/7 over the long haul, and can add valuable input that is not always obvious at an appointment or measurable with a cognitive test. I am relying on my experience as my father’s caregiver, corroborated by medical professionals, health consultants, literature, research, and the shared experiences of others. Of course, not every dementia victim will experience every symptom, but the commonalities are significant. As the disease grabs hold of one’s faculties, men like Biden and my father continue to view themselves as experienced executives -- in control, commanding, and coherent; holding court as the family patriarch; the old dude who’s seen it all. They don’t doubt their ability to express complex ideas with the right words. And so, they conduct business as usual and, for the most part, things go fine until they stammer over a word, get frustrated, then confused, and either babble their way out or shut down. It isn’t long before lost words, forgotten names, and elusive ideas are replaced by whatchamacallit, whosimajig, whatshername, and the thing. These lapses can be easily hidden during the early stages. It’s not uncommon for loved ones, spouses in particular, to make excuses for the afflicted, cover up the messes, and run interference with others. In those embarrassing moments when a dementia patient fails to recognize someone he should know, the dutiful spouse (often in denial) will swoop down, rush to his side, and handle the mishap. Of course X remembers you. He’s just very tired from our trip. Can you excuse us for a second? She will answer the phone and put the caller on speaker to assist with answering questions her spouse might find confounding. She will accompany him everywhere and serve as backup if he starts to frazzle. But for those occasional "senior moments," he seems put together to the outside world. Posted by: Besoeker 2020-08-16 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=579765 |