Memory Lane

One of the days of my community posting, I was sent to a nursing care home. It was called "Memory Lane", simply because most of the residents there has dementia.


There was Joe who used to be a really successful businessman, traveling all over the world living a comfortable life in a large home and running an internationally known company. He's been married to his wife for nearly 70years. Now he randomly holds another lady resident's arm to take a stroll or dance, because he thinks she's his wife. But when his real wife came around to visit him, he couldn't recognise her at all.


There was another man who was an engineer. He still goes around dismantling the television set, the fridge and then get frustrated when he couldn't piece them back. Just because that was what he used to do all his life.


There was a lady who used to bake really beautiful cakes and wonderful pastries. Now she lost all her skills of that, even though i bet she's still fond of baking.


And then there was another one who lost her husband a while ago. When she gets part of her memory back, she'd start crying. Then her memory switches off, and she'd be wondering what she is crying for. Which will make her cry even more because she doesn't know what is making her sad.


With their short term memory gone, they all lived in their own little world of different eras. He may remember how he'd fought through the war, but not the names of his own children. Some of them had family members who would rather shut them out of their lives altogether, and would not even come by to visit them not once. While some had spouses who'd come and see them ever so often. Even though forgotten, even when they are ill themselves and needed to be taken care of.


Isn't it sad?


To think about waking up one day and slowly forgetting ur own life bits by bits. I'm sure it must be even more painful for those who loved them so dearly. He/she will no longer be the same person u knew all ur life. It may even change one's personality. Listening as their stories were being told it saddened me deeply. It reminded me about my grandma who pointed to the huge teddy and asked why my dog had became like that. It sounded funny, but more so it was horrifying to hear that. And to think that it could just happen to anyone....