Photography and Dementia
For as long as I can remember my grandmother, Grammie, has always been there for me. Out of my cousins and I, I am the only one with really curly hair like hers. I feel very connected to her even though we live three thousand miles apart. My grammie was a nurse for the Cleveland Browns Football Team. She has four kids, two girls and two boys, and seven grandchildren. The past few years, my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. Dementia is, “…a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia.” (Alzheimer’s Association). There have been times where my Grammie remembers things from her past but other times where she cannot recognize her children or her husband.
We have this game that we play with Grammie, 20 Questions, to try to figure out what she is trying to tell us. Most days she loves it and giggles as my mom or aunt try to help her. Other days she gets so frustrated that she shuts down and starts to cry. My cousins and I try to make her feel better by talking about school or just random things. Usually, it helps her if people talk to her and she is not just sitting there alone with her thoughts.
When I visit Grammie, I show her all of the photos I have taken during the semester. She loves to look at them and she tries to tell me what she can see in the photo. Sometimes she just looks at the photo and does not say anything and other times she is focused and really trying to understand what I am showing her. I try to show her photos with lots of color and details, because they usually help her to stay focused more. My favorite part is when I show her photos of animals, she can always tell me what animal is in the photo. When we go to the zoo or the peninsula, I take my photos and the first person I show them to is my Grammie. I think that is the most inspiring thing about my grandmother, even though her mental health is declining everyday she still tries to be my Grammie.
It is very hard to wrap one’s head around Dementia, and it is tough for my three cousins and I when one day she remembers us and the next day she does not. My family takes it day by day whether it is a bad or good day. My Grammie will always be my Grammie and I am grateful for the time I still have with her.
Resources:
“What Is Dementia?” Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia, www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia.