What makes a person?

[sandyRoe]

Reading a thread last night, which touched on amnesia caused by alcoholism and 'dementia', prompted me to think: 'What makes a person?'
I believe a few ABers, including myself, are looking after the physical shell of someone who isn't really there anymore.

[RATTER15]

Good for you Roxie, you will learn so much from these people that can teach you nothing.

I know I have learned so very much about being a caring person.

Ive learned to care about as well as care for!

[roxie_09]

Lol ratter, I must admit then that the first thing that came to my mind about learning things, is learning how to dodge flying objects, in particular arm and fists today ( still hasn't put me off though) as I am on a challenging behaviour dementia ward x But yes I still love them all and sometimes wish I could take them all home, as there are people there younger than my nan and granch and always think it could be them x

[DTCwordfan]

Thats the fundamental problem with dementia, we have no idea really of what they take in and what they don't - and believe me, this can change on an hourly basis, a daily basis. I do believe at mid-dementia there is a correlation with sleep, or rather the lack of it.

The second one I really pine for is stroke victims - imagine losing, or having limited, your physical /communication capabilities to the point that folk consider you as "ijiuts" -when the cognitive brain is working perfectly well....a living prison that must be.

[RATTER15]

Lol, I should pass on taking them all home :-)

That sounds like a ward I would love to work on.

[roxie_09]

Ratter there is never a dull moment, last week a man was walking around with me holding my hand and talking (to me didn't make sense but I went along with it), today the same man, kept hunting me down and shouting at me, but I still think he is great :) so changeable that it never gets boring :) x