In many cases giving care to those with dementia is harder than experiencing dementia itself. The early stages of dementia can be very frustrating for a patient increasingly conscious of their cognitive decline. As the disease progresses many are quite content living in the present tense. They are not bothered by mistakes of the past and do not worry about the future.

1. Dementia is already a common tragedy and will become more common.

Every time Jan came to my office she would smile and tell me “old age is not for cowards.” She would always laugh, proud of her originality but oblivious to the fact that in her dementia she had told me the same many times. Indeed, dementia is one of the greatest challenges of aging. And as life expectancy increases, dementia will be all the more common. It is estimated that over one-third of today’s seniors will die with some degree of dementia.

2. Dementia has many causes other than Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease causes roughly 70% of dementia, but many other diseases lead to it as well, such as multiple strokes and Parkinson’s. There is no stereotypic case and each person with dementia must be approached differently.

3. Dementia slowly progresses.

Most types of dementia slowly get worse. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is seven years, but it may be as long as twenty.

4. Dementia has some purpose in God’s sovereign plan.

Dementia is one of the tragedies of life that forces us to cry out to God. But even in our desperation we can recognize God has purpose in it. “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Ps. 57:2). God does not make mistakes. His purpose may be in the life of the victim, the caregivers, society as a whole, or all three. One of the challenges of dementia is to recognize those purposes and get in line with them.

5. All people with dementia are made in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

Being made in the image of God is true of all human beings from the best to the worst of us. It is not dependent on functional abilities or IQ. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke rightly when he said “There are no gradations in the image of God.” The image of God imparts a dignity to all people and demands our respect.

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