Mentioning Dementia

I watched this Ted Talk by a woman named Beth Malone. A very sincere, and real talk about her father’s dementia. She explained that her father was in the later stages of dementia (a neuro degenerative disease) and was no longer able to care for himself as he needed anymore. So, he was brought into a care facility that would help him daily. Beth said that this was not a place where he would have delighted in with a sound mind, or a lack of better words that he would normally reside in prior to his dementia. Because of this, she felt compelled to take him from his misery, however, she knew she really could not do this for him. Instead she decided to keep her father/daughter dynamic and roles and just be there for him. During this video, you’ll notice she holds back tears on several occasions, and I remind myself that even though we treat client last specifically, these personal family accounts or perspectives of their loved ones remind me that empathy is such a huge part of this profession, not only for the client but their loved ones. Each person may be affected differently as well, and it is important to remain mindful of everyone’s feelings in a situation as sad as dementia is in any state or form, early or late. I am so passionate about the importance of considering others feelings in what you are doing, and I believe that is why I am meant for OT. Dementia is a very tough journey not just for a client but to anyone who is involved and especially has a close relationship with them. Empathy is just about everything.








https://www.ted.com/talks/beth_malone_how_my_dad_s_dementia_changed_my_idea_of_death_and_life

Let's Talk Neuro!

Have you ever experienced a person having a seizure? If so, what did you do? More importantly what were you thinking at that moment of that person? Well, after watching a Ted Talk about a specific chronic neural disease, I definitely learned a little more than I already knew. What I mean by that is, not only did I gain knowledge while watching and listening, but I gained an outlook, a perspective if you will about the subject because I think some of the best educational experiences come from testimonies. So, with that being said, the speaker in this Ted Talk was Claire Koster. In this video, she was 17 years young, and battling a chronic neural disorder called epilepsy. What I learned was that there are two different categories which are petit mal, and grand mal seizures. Petit mal was described as a "loss of control over the nervous system", while grand mal was defined as a "loss of control over the muscles" (Claire Koster, 2015, 0:33). Claire was diagnosed at the age of 2 years old, and experienced petit mal seizures whenever triggered. Another thing that I learned was that sugar can affect if someone is triggered into a seizure. Interesting. Other things that she must keep in moderation is alcohol consumption, and of course "party" lights or strobes. Other than this, because of her medicine, she can live and lead an independent life. I refrain from saying a normal life because the word normal is such a construct and has a different meaning to everyone. She further explained that like other disorders, there is a spectrum for this one as well. She observed other individuals who have the same diagnosis but were wheelchair bound and were not able to live as independently as her (which I am sure humbles her deeply, even at such a young age). So, when you hear that someone suffers from epilepsy, don't assume the worst. In fact, in her speech she gave out some astounding percentages of what people think about epilepsy. I won't name all of them because it is quite a lot but when it comes to children and love, it hits me the most. So, Claire brought to mine and the audience's attention that " 12% of people thought they should be isolated from other children, 23% of people would not let their future children integrate with them, 14% of people say they should not be allowed to marry/have children themselves, and 64% of people would not marry someone who suffers from epilepsy" (Claire Koster, 2015, 1:15). How should these percentages and statements make a person feel? Especially someone who suffers from it. My biggest take away from this Ted Talk, is the perspective that I gained because in OT I believe that as our main goal. Empathize with how someone feels and try to create a better standard an outlook for them to provide them with the best quality of care that you can. Claire explained that a lot of people think that their boundaries are considered a negative thing, but she says because of her boundaries, she actually has none. At the bottom, if you are interested, there is the link to her video which I recommend. Her confidence and courage are inspiring. 

Koster, C. (2015, December 9). Living with a Chronic Neural Disorder. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYcuvtdvD88