Over Streams and Squirrel Woods… To Tenby

I wanted to write about people who have a disease which destroys the ability to communicate or recognise anyone, causes the loss of bodily functions, forces dependency and dehumanises the sufferer – as Lewy body dementia did to my Mum. Some form of dementia affects 1 in 20 of the over 65’s and 1 in 5 of over 80’s, so many of us – how does it feel if you know that it is happening to you? Some sufferers have said that it enriches awareness and acts as a prism through which life is viewed differently. I could see that fantasy and reality merged in my Mum’s mind and often wondered if she had an alternative world where her insecurities and fears manifested themselves as monsters and where she was powerful, resourceful and a leader, in contrast to her claustrophobic, trapped and deteriorating reality. Hopefully there is still power and creativity in the human mind even when it is damaged by plaques and tangles. I have imagined her thoughts based on what she said to me and from what I observed and have described factually and honestly the journey we took together. Recording my experience of her illness, treatment and life in two nursing homes led me to question how we treat our elderly, our shocking lack of effort to communicate with those with dementia and what constitutes identity, self and the soul. ‘Over Streams and Squirrel Woods’ explores what can happen when reality becomes too painful, and the disconnection between people when they see and hear differently from one another. It is about boundless love, frustration, guilt and the inexorable inevitability of aging. “This is a valuable addition to the dementia literature, rewriting our expectation of what those with dementia can think.” John Suchet.