About Arlene and Ron.

I like Arlene and Ron. Despite their dementia. Really, they have uncanny intelligence. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Some people won't believe me. They'll think I'm kidding. But I ain't. My Italian true love and I spent Saturday night with Arlene and Ron. They were our guests. At our home. For dinner and camaraderie. Years and years ago I shunned people with dementia. That was before my dear wife Jeanne had Alzheimer's. After the diagnosis, I was scared silly for a while. Until I learned to enter the world of people with dementia. Jeanne helped me. When I was her care-giver. For 13 years. Until the day she died five years ago. Jeanne taught me a whole lot. About love. About what it's like to have dementia. About communication. Jeanne invited me into her new world. Opened my mind. My heart and soul. And so it was no problem conversing with Arlene and Ron. They've been married to each other for the better part of a century. Fortunate to grow old together. Better than dying young. And Arlene and Ron know that they still have each other. Even in the state of dementia. Ron is happier than Arlene. Because Ron isn't really all that aware of his dementia. Arlene is more aware. That her mind isn't functioning the way it used to. Makes her a little uneasy. But I'm able to give her reassurance. Just like I did with Jeanne. Because I'm capable of entering Arlene's world. I can speak her language. Better than I speak Italian. Which is all right. Because my Itallian true love speaks fluent English. Anyway, I'd rather focus my efforts on dementia-talk. My mission is to reach people with dementia. To not write 'em off. Everyone of 'em can be reached. I know it. Beyond a doubt. But it's important that I enter their world. They aren't gonna enter mine, or the one they used to live in. Arlene and Ron have let me in. For which I am grateful. And I'm gonna talk more about them and their world in upcoming weeks. Stay tuned. --Jim Broede