Margaret Thatcher and dementia.

[madinmaryland]

Regardless of your thoughts about her policies, dementia is an insidious disease that strikes anyone. The results are very disturbing. The person that you knew and loved has become a "person" who has no idea who they are, cannot communicate to anyone, and can barely perform any basic tasks that we take for granted.

After seeing a lot of dementia patients over the last few weeks, it is not a disease I would wish upon anyone.

Sad, just very sad.

Edit to add link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/25/margaret-thatcher-sufferi_n_121133.html

[calico1]

1. My aunt has Alzbeimer's and is being cared for by

my other aunt.

It is very sad to see a person slowly slip away mentally like this and you can't do anything about it.

I don't wish it on anyone.

[madinmaryland]

6. The hardest part is not being able to do anything about it.

My mom is in the latter stages and it is really tough seeing it happen.

[calico1]

16. My aunt is the youngest child among her siblings.

She was around 58 when diagnosed.

She was once a very lively, active, outgoing vivacious woman. She never married but had lots of friends, would go out every weekend, entertain at her home (she was a great cook). And she was so independent. She can't even brush her teeth or even eat on her own. In the last year especially she has gone way down.

My other aunt was trying to put sneakers on her the other day. She would tell her "give me this foot" and my aunt would just laugh and have no clue what she was being asked to do.

It is a terrible disease.

I have a really hard time reading posts joking about it or about anyone who had or has it. Even Reagan...

[NC_Nurse]

2. Quite true. My mother is in late stage Alzheimer's. It sucks. It's a sad way to go.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. My father in law had it

He died nearly 30 years ago.

It was horrible. But it was also awful that no one had heard of it, as it was not common 30 years ago. Our friends all said "al's what?"

We also struggled to find care for him. The nursing homes were not equipped to deal with Alzheimers. It took a long time to find one that we liked and that was willing to take him.

[Chulanowa]

3. I work in an elder care facility, and agree 100%

I don't like Thatcher's policies, her personality, or anything about her; But even so, anyone in this state deserves basic human sympathy.

The last thing this woman needs in her final years, is the Wacky Wasillan stuffing a mounted moose head in her face and going "Hey there ho now, mizz Margie, lookie what I brought'cha!" And Thatcher's Daughter, I think is exploiting her mother. of course, can't expect better of anyone raised by Margaret Thatcher, I guess.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. *cough* Ronald Reagan *cough*

[malaise]

5. You are correct but Margaret Thatcher's dementia

is only being mentioned because Lady Blah Blah is a fucking LIAR. There is no way she is having any meeting with Margaret Thatcher.

[hlthe2b]

8. She might be getting the sham photo op....

I haven't seen any denials in the British press yet.

[katanalori]

9. so far........

No meeting agreed to yet, but Palin puppet masters are BEGGING for this to happen. If Rupert Murdoch pays the daughter enough money, it may happen.
Palin using Thatcher as a prop. Why not? It works with baby Trig.

[Beaverhausen]

11. I think Palin is being punked by someone

[hlthe2b]

7. Which is why it is so unbelievable & tacky that SP is taking advantage

of this for her photo op (and that Thatcher's daughter is apparently allowing it to happen).

[mitchum]

10. "Dementia is a blessing for those with the most to forget."

[madinmaryland]

12. No. Maybe for a small few, but it is a disease that strikes

mainly the innocent.

[Posteritatis]

14. Unless they wind up trapped in the wrong memories. (nt)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

13. The Iron Lady turns to rust.

How sad. I would wish that on absolutely nobody. I've seen it at its worst in some people, and have prayed for their swift death to end the slow decay of their minds.

I've recently read here that there may be a new hope for Alzheimer's victims. I hope it's true.

[DonCoquixote]

17. Thank You

As much as I hate Thatcher, I am happy to see that we have actually offered sympathy for someone who, frankly, has a problem worse than anyone deserves.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. Thatcher and Reagan have/had dementia

[MrMickeysMom]

19. Imagine ... "breaking" news to her mother her husband died -

over and over, and seeing her reaction. One of the nightmares of having to deal with this disease.

We'll never learn the stories true to Ronald Reagan until after Nancy leaves the earth, I suppose.

[sabrina 1]

20. It's interesting that both Thatcher and Reagan

were victims of the same illness in the end. It should make people think more deeply about how they live their lives. Both of these people had a very negative effect on millions of human beings during their lifetimes.

I can't say I feel anything, I would be lying to say I did. I feel for the many victims of their policies not only n their own countries but in many others also. Maybe it's a blessing that they did not have to spend their old age contemplating the harm they did to so many.

Having said that, Dementia is a terrible desease, but mostly for those who loved them who are the most affected. Thatcher and Reagan both lacked empathy for others, the poor, the homeless, the oppressed etc. I wish I could feel more empathy for them but I think of those they viewed with such disdain and I would prefer to direct my sympathies to them, many of whom also suffer from Dementia but do not have the means to ensure treatment that would respect their dignity as both of them did.