HomeAllNewsDoPeopleWithDementiaKnowSomethingIsWrongWithThem?Alzheimer’sdiseaseprogressivelydestroysbraincellsovertime,soduringtheearlystagesofdementia,manydorecognizesomethingiswrong,butnoteveryoneisaware.Theymayknowtheyaresupposedtorecognizeyou,buttheycan’t.Maybeduringarecentvisittoyouraunt’shousesheinsistedyouhelpherfindherwinterglovesandboots–inthemiddleofJuly.Maybeshedidn’trememberyournameatallorthoughtyouweresomeoneelsefromthefamily.Thesetypesofscenariosaren’tuncommon,andmanypeoplewonderiftheirlovedoneknowssomethingiswrongwiththem.Whatiftheydon’tunderstand–shouldyoutryandconvincethem?DoTheyKnowTheyHaveAlzheimer’s?SeeingalovedonedevelopAlzheimer’sordementiacanbescaryandconfusing.Theirbehaviorscanbemisunderstoodornotmakesensetoyou.RedJohnson,an86year-oldlivingwithAlzheimer’s,explainedtohisdaughter,Nancy,howitfeelstolivewiththedisease.Ilovemyfamily.Mydaughter-in-lawandson-in-law;mygrandchildrenandgreat-grandchildren;myin-laws;andmyniecesandnephews.Imightnotremembertheirnames.ImightbetonguetiedwhenItrytotalkwiththem.But,Istilllovethem.Doyouknowhowdumbitfeelswhenyou“know”thepersontalkingwithyouisanoldfriendandyoucan’tremembertheirname?Iknowsomethingiswrongwithme,andIhateit.Don’tlook“throughme”justbecauseIcan’trememberyournameorammixedupaboutwhatdayitis.Don’tignoremyneedsbecauseyouthinkitdoesn’tmatter.–RedRed’sstoryisagreatinsightintohowitfeelstoknowyouaresufferingfrommemoryproblemsandhowpainfulitcanbe.Readthefullstoryonalz.com.WhenSomeoneDoesn’tUnderstandSomethingIsWrongTherearecaseswherepeopledon’trecognizeanythingiswrong. Youmayhearthisreferredtoasanosognosiawhichisthoughttobetheresultofcelldamageintherightpre-frontallobesandtheparietallobes. ThiscanhappenduringastrokeorascellsdeclineduetoAlzheimer’sanddementia.Caregiversandfamilymembersmaynoticeobviouschangesinsomeone’sbehavior,physicalormentallimitationswhiletheirlovedoneremainsadamanteverythingisfine.Anosognosiaisn’tdenial,itisamedicalcondition.Caringforanyonelivingincognitivedeclineischallenging.Caringforsomeo