Dementia, Identity, and Spirituality

SUMMARY A key question asked about dementia is whether it destroys identity. There is a weighty body of opinion and attitude against the preservation of selfhood in the condition. In recent years, however, the contrary view has increasingly been put. A significant element in the strategies proposed by adherents of the latter stance is the influence on the development of dementia of the attitudes and practices of caregivers. The theory is put forward that the capacity to embrace change in those surrounding the person is crucial to the maintenance of wellbeing. The author goes on to argue that a decline in cognitive capacity may lead to a growth in spiritual powers, which poses a challenge to us all.