Imagine walking into a room that once felt familiar, but now everything seems distorted. The faces that should bring comfort appear strange, and the voices that once gave you peace now sound distant and unclear.

This is the world of dementia: a condition that alters the mind’s ability to interpret reality. For people living with dementia, the world can seem like a confusing, fragmented place, filled with uncertainty and fear.

At GraciasLiving, we work closely with individuals living with dementia, offering them care, compassion, and an environment that respects their unique experience of the world.

What it’s like to see the world through the eyes of someone living with dementia, and how we can support them in leading a life of dignity and comfort.

What Is Dementia?

Before diving into how individuals with dementia perceive the world, it’s important to understand the condition itself.

Dementia is not a specific disease but a collection of symptoms that affect memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, but there are many other types of dementia, such as vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia.

People with dementia experience a range of symptoms, including:

• Memory loss: Difficulty remembering recent events, names, or even recognizing loved ones.
• Confusion: Misunderstanding time, place, or familiar environments.
• Difficulty with language: Trouble finding the right words or following conversations.
• Disorientation: Feeling lost, even in well-known surroundings.
• Behavioral changes: Anxiety, depression, agitation, and even aggression.

These symptoms deeply impact how a person interacts with their environment, making it challenging to interpret even the simplest of situations.

Understanding the World Through the Eyes of Someone with Dementia

Dementia changes how people see and understand the world. Things that used to feel familiar can now seem confusing or strange.

Everyday tasks become harder, and even recognizing loved ones can be difficult. By understanding how dementia affects a person’s view of the world, we can offer better care and support.

It helps us to be more patient and create a calm and safe environment for them, so they feel less scared and confused.

1. A Distorted Sense of Time and Place

For someone with dementia, time is often a concept that becomes muddled. They might feel like they are living in a different era, perhaps reliving their childhood or thinking they are in a time decades past.

For example, they may believe that their parents, who might have passed away many years ago, are still alive and waiting for them. This confusion can cause a person to try to “go home” or look for people who no longer exist in their current world.

Imagine waking up and not knowing if it’s morning or night. The sun might be shining, but they may feel it’s bedtime. Even simple tasks like deciding when to eat or what to wear become bewildering without a solid sense of time.

Disorientation in space is equally distressing. Familiar places like their own home may suddenly feel strange.

They may not recognize their bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen, leading them to wander aimlessly, unsure of where they are. The security of knowing their environment has been stripped away.

2. Fragmented Memory

Memory is a critical component of how we understand the world. When a person with dementia experiences memory loss, the world starts to feel like a puzzle with missing pieces.

Their short-term memory is often the first to decline, meaning they might not remember what happened just five minutes ago but recall an event from decades past in vivid detail.

For example, a person with dementia might forget the name of a close family member or forget they just had lunch, asking for food minutes later.

This constant state of forgetfulness can lead to frustration, anger, or anxiety. They might feel that they are being deceived or tricked when corrected, deepening their sense of distrust in the world around them.

Imagine feeling lost in your own life—unable to piece together the events of the day, much less maintain a coherent sense of self. That is the reality for many with dementia.

3. Visual and Spatial Challenges

One of the lesser-known symptoms of dementia is the difficulty in interpreting visual information.

A person with dementia may experience a world that feels like it’s filled with optical illusions. Straight lines might appear wavy, distances might be difficult to judge, and objects could seem larger or smaller than they actually are.

This altered perception makes daily tasks, such as walking across a room or reaching for an object, daunting.

What we take for granted, such as knowing how far away a chair is or whether a staircase goes up or down, becomes confusing and potentially dangerous for someone with dementia.

For example, shiny floors might look like water to a person with dementia, leading them to avoid walking on it, or a dark rug might seem like a hole in the ground.

These visual misinterpretations contribute to their anxiety and confusion in unfamiliar environments.

4. Changes in Language and Communication

As dementia progresses, many people find it increasingly difficult to communicate their thoughts and feelings.

Words may escape them, or they might forget what they were trying to say mid-sentence. Conversations can become frustrating, not only for the person with dementia but also for their caregivers.

This loss of language makes it hard for them to express their needs, such as hunger, thirst, or pain. In turn, caregivers might misinterpret their actions, thinking they are upset for no reason, when in fact, they are simply struggling to communicate.

At times, the person with dementia may retreat into silence, not because they don’t want to engage but because the effort of finding the right words feels overwhelming.

5. Emotional Sensitivity and Vulnerability

Alongside these cognitive changes, people with dementia become incredibly sensitive to emotional cues.

While they might not remember the details of a conversation, they often retain the ability to sense emotions. If a caregiver is frustrated, anxious, or rushed, the person with dementia may pick up on these feelings and become agitated as well.

Conversely, a calm, loving environment can help soothe them, even if they don’t fully understand what is happening around them.

At Gracias Living, we train our caregivers to be mindful of the emotional atmosphere they create. Empathy, patience, and a warm smile go a long way in helping residents feel safe.

6. Hallucinations and Delusions

Hallucinations and delusions are another facet of how people with dementia perceive the world. Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, while delusions are false beliefs.

For example, a person with dementia may hear voices calling their name when no one is around, or they may believe that someone is stealing their possessions.

These hallucinations and delusions are not uncommon in dementia, especially in advanced stages.

They can be incredibly distressing, leading the person to feel paranoid or frightened. For caregivers, understanding that these experiences are real for the person with dementia is key to providing support and comfort.

7. The Emotional Experience

Alongside the cognitive changes, dementia affects the emotional experience of the person going through it. Fear, confusion, and frustration are common emotions, but so is a deep yearning for connection.

While they may not always be able to express it, people with dementia still feel love, joy, and the need for human interaction.

One of the most poignant aspects of dementia is that, despite memory loss and confusion, emotional memories often linger.

A song from their youth might bring a smile, or a familiar scent might evoke feelings of calm. Caregivers at Gracias Living use this connection to emotional memory to help soothe and connect with those in our care.

Supporting People with Dementia

At Gracias Living, we believe that understanding the world through the eyes of someone with dementia is crucial for providing compassionate care. Here are some ways to support individuals living with dementia:

• Create a safe, familiar environment: Keep furniture and personal items in the same place, and reduce visual clutter to minimize confusion.
• Use clear, simple language: Speak slowly, clearly, and use short sentences. Avoid correcting or arguing with them, as this can cause frustration.
• Maintain routines: Consistency helps reduce anxiety. Stick to regular times for meals, activities, and sleep.
• Engage their senses: Play familiar music, offer foods they enjoy, and use scents like lavender to create a calming environment.
• Show empathy and patience: Always approach them with a calm, kind demeanor, and be patient when they struggle to communicate.

Conclusion: A World of Compassion

In the end, understanding dementia isn’t just about recognizing the symptoms — it’s about seeing the world through their eyes, stepping into their shoes, and being courageous enough to walk alongside them in their journey.

While we may not be able to change their reality, we can change how we respond to it. By offering empathy, patience, and unwavering support, we can create a world where those living with dementia are not just seen and heard, but deeply understood and valued. The key to transforming their experience lies in transforming our own mindset.

At Gracias Living, we aim to make this journey easier for both the individuals and their families, providing an environment of care, empathy, and respect. It’s essential to remember that while their world may seem different, their need for love, connection, and kindness remains constant.