And then crept in dementia….
At first, we had no clue. Her naggings increased, she started forgetting things - even the crucial ones like going to the toilet. She accused us of not giving her breakfast having had it moments back. Then came a time when she was not able to recognize my wife and me. It was a difficult time for us as interaction with her became almost impossible.
When it comes to the elderly, it’s the past you are investing in, not the future.
So what makes it all worth while?
So why do we change in how we respond to them? Why can’t we accept that someone we love has a mental disease?
Because we believe it reflects on us? As SRK says in Dear Zindagi, “We go to a doctor when we have a fever, so why do we struggle to come to terms with mental illness?”