Perhaps more than other diseases, the desire for privacy is particularly strong for dementia, which is still viewed by many as a mental health disorder rather than a neurologic disease like Parkinson’s disease or ALS.
My patients and families typically limit the disclosure of the diagnosis on a need-to-know basis, and many choose to hide it till the end. Doctors, clinics, and hospitals are complicit with this secrecy, with only around 50% of people with dementia having their diagnosis documented in their medical records.
Since dementia tends to begin later in one’s life, many simply fade into retirement and anonymity, which inevitably leads to…
Read the full article at TIME.COM
