Takeaway
We must listen closely to patients with dementia’s thoughts and feelings, even though their sense of reality may be different than our own.
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence | July 7, 2022 | 1 min read
By Corliss Wong, MS4, The University of Hong Kong
Dear Father,
I am now
in Hong Kong,
healthy and safe.
Please put
your worries
to rest.
The time
will come
for my return,
and we shall
reunite
as father
and son.
As to when
that may be,
let us
let fate
decide.
In haste,
Your son
This is a loose translation of a recent letter written by my grandfather, a survivor of the Second Sino-Japanese War, who is currently in the throes of dementia. He penned the letter to reassure his father that he’d safely made the journey from their hometown to Hong Kong in hopes of a better life.
The poem sheds light on how dementia can affect the mind and distort one’s perception of time. I’ve learned that when supporting patients with dementia, it can be helpful to “go with their flow” by allowing space for them to freely express their thoughts and feelings, however out of touch their constructed realities may seem. Often, these patients want to share their stories, although they may repeat the same ones over and over. Nevertheless, the freedom of expression and unwavering reassurance from those they trust are two things dementia patients and their loved ones will appreciate until the very end.
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.