What Pop Culture Gets Wrong About Dementia

About Tori Thurmond

Tori Thurmond combines her creative writing background with her marketing experience in her role as the Content Specialist at Brookdale. When she's not writing, she's probably spending time with her two cats or knitting.

Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias affect countless lives. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, and one in three older adults currently dies with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.

Even with how prevalent dementia is, pop culture still perpetuates stereotypes that aren’t true and can be harmful to those living with dementia. Here are a few stigmas often associated with a dementia diagnosis and a breakdown of why these assumptions aren’t always accurate.

Misconception 1: Life Is Over After a Diagnosis

After receiving a dementia diagnosis, people often experience complex emotions, like fear, disbelief and even relief. Media and pop culture often portray people living with dementia at an advanced stage, where the disease has progressed making it difficult for the individual to remember loved ones or function independently. However, there are many different types of dementia, and the progression of symptoms is unique to the individual. People living with mild to early moderate dementia can usually continue to live independently, drive and spend meaningful time with loved ones. While change is inevitable, people living with dementia can continue to live well with their diagnosis.

Misconception 2: People Living With Dementia Can’t Make Any Decisions for Themselves

A harmful stigma often associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is that the individual with the diagnosis is no longer able to make decisions for themselves. It’s important to remember that people living with dementia still deserve to have a sense of autonomy. In fact, it’s essential for their confidence and self-esteem. Instead of asking their caregiver how they are doing, ask the individual living with dementia. Continue to actively include them in conversations and family gatherings. Give them choices when at all possible. For example, if the person living with dementia needs to shower, ask them if they would like to shower now or after breakfast.

It is important to start conversations early with the person living with dementia about their wishes for when and if more support or care is needed. That way, caregivers know without a doubt the wishes and desires of their loved after their dementia has progressed.

Misconception 3: People Living With Dementia Will Become Aggressive

Sometimes media portrays people who are further along in the progression of their dementia diagnosis as becoming violent or the complete opposite of who they were before their diagnosis. Luckily, this is not the case. While a diagnosis of dementia changes many things, a person’s identity is forever. It’s important to keep in mind that the brains of those living with dementia are changing, and they may not have access to the same communication or coping mechanisms as they once did. People living with dementia will express their needs with non-verbal communication.

Imagine being tired or frustrated when you suddenly have someone trying to get you to go to a doctor’s appointment, but you aren’t able to fully understand the reason you have to go or communicate why you don’t want to go. You may get frustrated in a way you wouldn’t have before losing these coping mechanisms. Any unusual behavioral expressions from the individuals living with dementia are most likely their way of communicating needs, not ill intent.

Misconception 4: People Living With Dementia Will Become an Empty Shell

The way media often portrays individuals living with end stages of dementia is as an empty shell, not at all resembling who they were before their diagnosis. Personhood is a term used to describe an individual’s personal identity. In other words, personhood is what makes you, you. A stereotype of dementia is that it robs individuals of their personhood. However, we never stop being ourselves. In fact, Jill Ladaa, Brookdale Senior Living’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Gerontologist, says that, “People living with dementia continue to hold their core values, beliefs and sense of purpose throughout the progression of the disease. Caregivers and society play a critical role in either supporting or diminishing a person’s sense of self through the words they choose and the way they interact with the person living with dementia.”

Take comfort in knowing that your loved one remains the same person you know and love, even as dementia symptoms affects their ability to express themselves. It is important to include them in family gatherings and decisions that affect them as much as they are able. Find things that you both enjoy like listening to favorite music or watching their favorite movie together.

Misconception 5: There’s Nothing You Can Do After a Dementia Diagnosis

Dementia diagnoses are often portrayed as inevitable; there’s nothing we can do to improve the outlook. However, the Alzheimer’s Association’s U.S. POINTER Study found that older adults who are at risk for cognitive decline can benefit from proactive lifestyle changes. Focusing on lifestyle habits, such as healthy eating, hydration, exercise and maintaining social connections can improve cognition. Ladaa states, “No one thinks clearly when they’re dehydrated, so for a person living with dementia, you can imagine how dehydration compounds their symptoms.” While drinking enough water and eating well won’t cure a dementia diagnosis, overall healthy living can protect cognitive function in a way that is not commonly highlighted in pop culture.

To continue learning about Alzheimer’s and dementia, make sure to check out our other memory care blogs, like Innovations in Dementia Care and Understanding Dementia: A Guide for Newcomers.

_{The information provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a diagnostic tool or a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have concerns about dementia for yourself or a loved one, please consult a healthcare professional.}