The Many Dimensions of Dementia as Seen Through the Family's Eyes‪.‬

After Sally finished grocery shopping, she was to meet her husband Joe who was waiting outside the grocery store, but when she got there, no Joe sat there. He must have gone to the car, she thought as she ran with her cart to the car and searched all around, but no car and no Joe. Since Joe had forgetfulness and gets lost easily, this frightened Sally. She didn’t know if the car was stolen with him in it or he had taken the car without a driver's license. Either way this certainly was not good. She rushed back into the store to page and search, for Joe, but still no Joe. This worried Sally as she knew that being in the middle stages of dementia, if he took the car, it was hard telling where he was, because he usually got lost when he drove and if he did not take the car he was in real danger. She didn't know what to do, and asked God, “where is he?” She was ready to call the police when a little voice said, "Call home first." She didn’t think he would be home; he usually does not know how to get home but she did call and sure enough he had gotten home safely over an hour after he left her there. She did not know if she should be angry or relieved. She told her granddaughter to ask for his keys and bring him along to get her from the grocery store where she was left stranded. This was the beginning of a long, bumpy, rollercoaster ride of their loved one’s Dementia. Sally would be frustrated and frightened seeing her husband go physically, cognitively and mentally spiraling downhill, and the many times, when Joe also sensed his decline, he would feel worthless and angry at himself and pound his head and cry out to God, “I do not know what I am doing, my head is empty. I just want to go home.” Sally knew that home meant his heavenly home with Jesus. God was with them through the many years of this dementia nightmare. Then In November of 2021, with his family beside him, his prayers were answered, as he went to be with his Lord Jesus, and we believe he had a smile on his face.