360. How Christians Understand Dementia When Someone You Love Is Still Here But So Much Keeps Getting Lost

Someone you love is still here.

They may still live at home, follow familiar routines, make choices, and have good days.

And at the same time, dementia may be taking away memory, independence, abilities, and parts of the life you both knew.

So how should a Christian understand what is happening when the person is still here, but so much keeps getting lost?

In this episode of Dementia Caregiver Support for Christians, we look at dementia through the cross.

The episode begins with a difficult tension: a person can live with dementia, live well with dementia, and still suffer. Those things are not mutually exclusive.

From there, we look at three Christian truths that shape how we understand dementia, caregiving, weakness, dependence, and loss.

The key distinction is this: dementia can change what a person is able to do without changing who that person is before God.

Key Advisory Points

Suffering is not evidence that God has abandoned you in caregiving.

A person with dementia can still be the same person before God even as abilities decline.

Dementia may take away memory, independence, decision-making, mobility, and other abilities.