[quote Maverickess]@Needaholiday2021
that’s unusual as usually dementia patients remember their childhood and younger years fondly and fireworks definitely featured heavily for many through those younger years.
Unfortunately that's not really a true description of dementia, but a popular one that people like to think happens, they're not just a bit forgetful, dementia destroys the brain.
I work with people who don't recognise their own children, who have no idea how to feed themselves or indeed what food is and who can't community effectively, if at all except with behaviour. So no, it's not 'unusual' for someone suffering with dementia to not understand what the noise from fireworks are and rationalise it because they might have been to a few displays as a child, some of the people I've been with tonight don't understand what I'm saying to them and only kind touch and presence has helped, so explanations haven't worked either.
The memory of what caused the fear and upset also is usually immediately lost, but not the adrenaline it's caused or the emotions evoked, so we've just managed to get the last one settled - in a chair in the lounge because he's too worked up and upset to be on his own - but he doesn't know why.
Only 3 of our residents were bothered negatively this year, but it was enough to cause problems over the whole unit and unsettle everyone else - even those who enjoyed watching them out of the window.
But if you want to carry on thinking that dementia patients are fine because they go back to their childhood and will have attended fireworks displays, so that there's no bad feeling, go right ahead, but know that actually, you're misinformed.
Thanks to the other posters who've sent support and wishes, we all made it through, till tomorrow night and it all starts again that is.........[/quote]
Add in the difference in fireworks as well... I’d be pretty damn young for dementia and when I was young, you might have some sparklers, someone might have a Catherine wheel and a few rockets and everyone had bonfires - and it was limited to the 5th, even if it was a weekday.
Now, every second house has displays bigger and louder than public ones used to be and on random days that they’ve decided work better than the 5th.