Recognizing Dementia

A member of the Dementia Friendly Fond du Lac County task force says recognizing someone with dementia is half the battle of proving a more understanding community. Cathy Loomans says they recently completed training Fond du Lac firefighters on how to deal with someone suffering from dementia. She says people with dementia may seem confused or disoriented. She says dementia is different for everyone that suffers from it, but there are some common characteristics. She says the person may know you, but not recognize you. She says they also lose track of time and may ask frequently “what day is it?”  Loomans says they also may say things they wouldn’t normally say because they lose that filter in their brain that prevents them from saying something harmful or even obscene.  There are 2,200 people in the County suffering from dementia and 80 percent of them are still living in their homes. Loomans says people interested in getting a brief dementia friendly training session can go to their website or Facebook page or can call her at the Fond du Lac Senior Center at 322-3630.