Are They in Denial? (with Lori Nisson)

Our guest, Lori Nisson, the Director of Family & Community Services for Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and Banner Sun Health Research Institute, shares with us her expertise on the lack of awareness that most people with dementia can exhibit and the empathic strategies that can be used. She helps us untangle how someone with an ailment like dementia isn’t in denial but has an actual lack of awareness due to the deterioration of the frontal lobe of the brain. She reminds us that as people lose their awareness, it changes the way we communicate and how as caregivers, we must be aware of our own behavior and not force the reality of the disease onto our person. Lori also tackles the stigma around the word dementia and addresses common worries for caregivers like communication, driving, and making big decisions around transitions.