“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer.

During a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, I enjoyed the experience of parasailing off Table Mountain.  Although, truth be told, I found the slow descent of parasailing much less thrilling than my sky diving adventure – it was still exciting.

I was able to view Cape Town from a totally different perspective.  Rather than seeing a crowded city full of buildings that were prominent at street level, I was able to take in the beauty that surrounded it.   The ocean, the mountains, and hills, and the dolphins playing, that were hidden by concrete changed the way I saw Cape Town.

“If you change the way you look at dementia, the people living with dementia will change.” – Laure’s version.

Last week, after speaking at the National Research Summit on Dementia Care, I was encouraged about how the perception of dementia is slowly starting to shift.  People living with dementia were included in the program and many of the presentations incorporated the importance of including people living with dementia in decisions.  Wow – this is the beginning of progress!  The stigma of dementia and the way people look at dementia is starting to change!

, It’s time to re-image dementia from a different view and change the attitude from people dying of dementia to people living with dementia, from caregiver to care partner, and to focus on the individual’s abilities rather than their disabilities.

Love & Laughter,

Laurie