This is a great article explaining what Anosognosia means. Unlike a regular physical ailment, many people with dementia do not know they have it and do not accept this possibility. This is very hard on the families, and this article gives some tips on how to help.
Why wouldn’t someone believe they have dementia?
Family caregivers often ask “how do you tell someone they have dementia”? And in some cases, the answer may be that you simply can’t.
Damage in the brain can cause people with Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, brain tumors, and other cognitive impairments to believe that there’s nothing wrong with them.
When that happens, it’s called anosognosia (pronounced ah-no-sog-NOH-zee-uh, hear it here). The word literally means “to not know a disease” and it’s much more than being in denial.
Read the rest of the article here.
