On the Brain

Just an FYI--the Alzheimer's Association has a nifty little online interactive tour about the human brain that is worth a looksee. It also presents how Alzheimer's Disease affects the brain--which is sobering. I'm doing a short internship stint with the Colorado chapter of the Alzheimer's Assocation. If anyone close to you has ever suffered from dementia, you are well acquainted with not only the accompanying stress and grief, but also with broader and deeper philosophical questions about the relationship, integration of, the mind and body. (By the by,there's an interesting piece in a recent New Yorker about a couple who teach philosophy at UC San Diego and focus specifically on mind/body conundrums.)

I had posted back in December about a man in Italy who fought for his own right to die. His story is illustrative of how a sick person who still has mental acuity may have to fight for rights against people with different agendas. How much more so difficulty is it then for a person suffering from dementia and is no longer considered "competent?" I say again to those I love: if you haven't already, execute an advanced directive outlining your wishes!! Do it! Five Wishes is legal in most states (but not in Texas!), but in any case it may be used as a resource. Does your partner or spouse have an advanced directive?Your parents? Your siblings? As someone who works with clients who have dementia--it can be heartbreaking to try to determine what someone may want or not want based upon recollections from family members (who may have contrary agendas of their own) because the person had not put anything in writing.