Malcolm Goldsmith is an Anglican priest who has studied, lectured and written extensively on the subject of dementia. Now he has published a book specifically for church members and their ministers. He believes that they have an important contribution to make, in support of the sufferers themselves and of those who care for them. ( And there are 5.7 million informal carers in this country, half of whom are looking after someone aged over 75). Christian faith inspires reverence, hope and love for every person, most especially the deprived, the marginalised and the dispossessed, among whom without doubt are dementia-sufferers. Goldsmith has observed that their treatment often lacks reverence and hope and this need not be so. "Although a devastating disability, it is not irrevocably a journey through hell and it is important that we find ways of supporting and encouraging people with dementia and their carers so that they can discover and enjoy a richness of life despite the limitations of such an illness".
He describes the processes and experience of the disease, of which of course there are many gathered under the umbrella title of Alzheimers. He provides a bibliography of books for reference and suggests ways of coping. He gives many examples of successful communication with sufferers who have been thought to be beyond reach.
"Caregivers who have an appreciation that being in the present moment in all our fragility and incompleteness is sacred, can enable people with dementia to experience glimpses of the divine"..". I need you to be the Christ-light for me, to affirm my identity and walk beside me. I may not be able to affirm you, to remember who you are or whether you visited me. But you have brought Christ to me. If I enjoy your visit, why must I remember it? Why must I remember who you are?... Let me live in the present. If I forget a pleasant memory, it does not mean that it was not important for me".
This is a challenging as well as a hopeful book. One thinks about members of our own congregation. "Very often people with dementia drop out from our churches without being noticed... they may begin to feel uneasy, feel that they are losing their grip of what is happening and feel awkward in the presence of so many other people... they may embarrass other members who do not understand what is happening or how to respond appropriately". "And of course the thing about dementia is that the next person who develops it may be me - and what sort of community would I want around me? Surely one of understanding, acceptance and support."
This is an important book. I do hope that there will be many readers among us, and I will gladly lend my copy for circulation. Of many quotable passages here's a final sample, from B B Wegner's 'Beatitudes for the Elderly':
Blessed are they who understand my faltering steps and shaking hand. Blessed, those who know my ears today Must strain to catch the words they say. Blessed are they with a cheery smile who stop to chat for a little while. Blessed are they who never say 'You've told us that story twice today'. Blessed are they who make it known 'That I'm loved, respected and not alone.'.