Welcome to Touching Dementia. I am Len, and for eight years, I supported and comforted my wife as she fought her fatal battle with early onset Alzheimer’s.
In this blog, I reflect on my involvement in her journey. I offer no advice or wisdom, as your experience with dementia will differ from mine. However, by sharing my experiences, I hope to provide some practical help or comfort.
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My wife Tina,
now lost to Alzheimer’s, was a gentle soul whose smile would light up a room and brighten a day.
Tina possessed great strength, courage and wisdom that she modestly hid from the world.
My Tribute
Who I am today is defined by my life with Tina: our love, our adventures, our journey, and her battle with dementia.
This is my tribute to an incredible woman and to her equally incredible caregivers who chaperoned us through the final years of her journey.
I am humbled and enriched by their love.
Staying Grounded
On one visit to Tina, I couldn’t find her on the dementia unit, so a few of her caregivers helped me search.
We eventually found her in another resident’s room, sorting rubbish bins. When she saw me, she shuffled toward me as fast as she could, arms wide open with a huge smile.
Behind me, I heard Elle, a young caregiver, say, ‘Ah… I wish someone would greet me like that one day.‘
In that moment, I realised that most of the people I depended on each day were searching for what I had been blessed to find. Though it was slipping away, it could never truly be taken from me. Self-pity dissolved, giving way to a powerful sense of perspective.
