The image in the mirror
A couple of weeks ago I read an article about dementia and I'm kicking myself for not keeping hold of it. It talked about ways of making things easier at home for sufferers and it made me think of the current living situation and day to day things my folks live with.
The article mentioned something about mirrors and how that might have an affect on dementia sufferers - specifically how they might envisage themselves as being younger than they are and being frightened or shocked by the image staring back at them in the mirror. The article suggested removing mirrors from around the house to tackle this particular issue.
So then I thought about the mirrors they have in the house. In their bedroom, opposite the bed are their wardrobes with mirrored doors. They do also have a large mirror in the bathroom of course. So these are two potential problem areas but I wonder how mum feels herself when she looks into them.
This has also got me thinking about the photos we've taken that I've shown her straight after. I do recall on a couple of occasions taking a photo her with my phone, or a photo of us together, and she has mentioned about how old she was. Perhaps this is evidence that she perhaps doesn't really how much she has aged and doesn't like seeing the photos we've just done.
This is really sad. My mum has always been photogenic - she loved taking pictures, and has the nicest smile and bright eyes. But some photos I've taken, especially when they're 'natural', off guard and un-posed you really can see the difference. Whenever she does smile, it really is the nicest thing.
The next time I visit my folks I might see how she manages herself in front of a mirror.
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