A Video About Truth

In her BLOG, my friend Kate says, "The short Vimeo I am posting below today was made by a friend and colleague in Scotland, which I found to be incredibly profound. For me, it spoke mostly about truth. But it also speaks about lies and deception, and arrogance and the lack of scrutiny. As I have become what others often tell me – a rebel, disruptor, or a whistleblower, or simply someone willing to lose ‘friends’ by talking about topics many others are too afraid to speak up about, this short movie really spoke to my heart."

Kate's BLOG (Opens in a new window)

The Video (Opens in a new window) 

I have copied the e-mail and BLOG dialogues below to show the process of my thinking and how greatly moved I was by the video as well as Kate's and Peter's (video's creator's) responses.

• • •

This was what I shared with Kate via e-mail: 

The video was hard for me to follow but periodically a message delivered rang true. I came away from it, however, feeling hopeless to do anything at all for those I love(d) with Dementia. “Good will can cause as much damage as ill will if it is not enlightened.” But isn’t that true for all things in life? I did the best I could for Gregory but it was not always the best and I was not always at my best. Is it possible that DOING NOTHING would have been better? I am so sad with tears holding open my eyelids.

• • •

Kate responded

I’m so sorry dear Michael… this is witness to how differently we all interpret things. Try not to cry. You did YOUR BEST for your beloved Gregory. In reality, we are ALL DOING OUR BEST, each and every day. Yes, even if it’s not good enough for others. Love you forever my dear friend 

• • •

Next, I sent this to Kate: 

Watched the video again. It feels so heavy with Truth and so dark with Life. I believe that most of the Truth was not uplifting but for one quote, “If organic theory overlooks human freedom, organic practice must suppress it!"

• • •

Kate's Response:

Wow! What a different response! We are such interesting and complex beings. Perhaps because I am quite a close friend of Peter, I understand or receive it differently?

He was a psychiatrist for 25 years and retired last year being too disturbed by his industry (and his Scottish government) and the way they ‘treat’ people with mental illness and dementia.

You’d actually love meeting him; he’s also a poet like us, and such a sweet gentle soul.

• • •

My response:

Thank you Dear Kate. I wish I could make it better for you, for me, for all of us who suffer. And it is not Dementia from which we suffer, it is Life!
Always, Michael

• • •

Peter, the video's creator, responded thusly: 

Dear Mr. Horvich, I am so sorry that this film left you tearful. I have no doubt that you, alongside the medical community did the best for Gregory. I see goodwill and kindness everywhere. This film was about wider, general principles sharing philosophical and artistic thoughts. 

Thank you, Kate, for writing about my film with such beautiful thoughts. You are a wonderful person Kate. My main reason for making this film is my worry that ethics may not always be at the beating heart of science.

aye Peter x, Scotland.

• • •

My comments which followed:

Thanks, Kate and Peter for the continued conversation. The video continues to “haunt” me as I continue trying to understand why it has affected me so deeply.

My further thoughts are that it so accurately portrays the state not only of the medical and psychology professions but also the belief/thought processing of all sentient beings.

For me, it shows reality in a real way, not an imagined one. It shows the difficult work we have, those who “see,” ahead of us to change the paradigms that control so much of our thinking and therefore our lives and our reactions to it.

I believe now that it saddened me in that it uncovered how much I too have been “convinced” inaccurately (inappropriately?) in my thinking. It frightens me in how vulnerable I am feeling right now about how to make changes in my thinking and actions (let alone, as you say, influencing the wider, general principles in medical, philosophical and artistic thoughts.

Finally, Peter, the way in which your video presented the issues and cut into my thinking was as amazingly sharp as a scalpel to the mind.

Turning Points in Dementia / Alzheimer's Care

The issue of understanding, dealing with, and providing care for people diagnosed with Dementia/ Alzheimer's, as well as all those included in the Caregiving Partnership/ Team, is a very complex one. 

I have tried to brainstorm some of the issues with which we must grapple. 

1. Understanding the cause of the Dementia
2. Understanding the nature of the Dementia
3. Understanding the expressions of the Dementia
4. Understanding the trajectory and progress of Dementia
5. Understanding the difference between old age changes and Dementia
6. Understanding how to support of the person with the Dementia
7. Understanding how to support the person with the Dementia at the various stages of the disease
8. Understanding how to support the person with Dementia while understanding that slowly they are not able to care for themselves
9. Understanding how to support the person with Dementia while understanding that their skills may come and go, return at the same or lesser ability level, and eventually disappear totally
10. Understanding how to support the person with Dementia while continuing to acknowledge and respect them as a person
11. Understanding how to support the person with Dementia while continuing to respect their rights as a human being
12. Understanding how to support the caregiver in the Dementia team/ partnership as well as the person diagnosed.
13. Understanding how to support the family of the person with Dementia.

1. Realizing the importance of relationships in general 
2. Realizing the importance of respect in relationships
3. Realizing the importance of communication in relationships
4. Realizing that in many ways living a good life with Dementia is the same as LIVING A GOOD LIFE
5. Realizing the importance of partnerships in caring relationships
6. Realizing relationships depend on the nature of the person, their experiences, their personalities
7. Realizing that changes over time will require changes in relationships in general.
8. Realizing that changes over time will require changes in approach to supporting the person with dementia
9. Realizing that the person is still the person and not the disease
10. Realizing there is no easy, one good way, "silver bullet" way to deal with Dementia
11. Realizing that the very nature of having to make decisios for the person with Dementia is in essescence a violation of their human rights and must be done very carefully with love and respect
12. Realizing what the person with the diagnosis of Dementia is experiencing
13. Realizing what the person supporting the person with the diagnosis is experiencing
14. Realizing what the family supporting the person with the diagnosis is experiencing

1. Focusing on how to help medical professionals be better able to support people diagnosed with Dementia as well as their caregivers and families.
2. Focusing less on the medicalization of Dementia
3. Focusing on transition in home, family, relationships
4. Focusing on redefining of home, family, relationships
5. Focusing on supporting Dementia cognitive and physical losses as a physical/ mental disability
6. Focusing on the person, not the disease as much as possible
7. Focusing on human rights and respect for the person who slowly is no longer able to make decisons for themselves
8. Focusing on living a full, meaningful life that will change as the Dementia changes
9. Focusing on alternative skills, activities, experiences that will change as the Dementia changes
10. Focusing on mobilizing community support for caregiver teams
11. Focusing on keeping a balance between meeting the needs of the person diagnosed with Dementia and not assuming the person cannot meet their own needs
12. Focusing on keeping a balance between meeting the needs of the person diagnosed with Dementia, not assuming that they cannot meet their own needs, but stepping in before the person becomes too frustrated.
13. Focuing on keeping a balance between meeting the needs of the person diagnosed with  Dementia, not assuming that they cannot meet their own needs, but stepping in before the person becomes too frustrated, and realizing that this may change often if not day to day or hour to hour. 

1. Research on finding a cure for Dementia
2. Research on best practices for supporting those diagnosed with Dementia
3. Research on best practices for supporting all those involved in caring partnerships
4. Research on living well with Dementia
5. Research on best practices for facilities working with those diagnosed with Dementia
6. Research on design of facilities for those needing protected care

1. Sound Bite: "How to keep life relevant? Useful? Meaningful? Personal?"
2. Sound Bite: "Individualize not institutionalize"
3. Sound Bite: "Individualize not medicalize"
4. Sound Bite: "Live until you die"
5. Sound Bite: "The diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence."
6. Sound Bite: "There is quailty life after diagnosis"
7. Sound Bite: "As in life, so with Dementia, just a little more complicated."
8. Sound Bite: "Not segregated into caring communities but rather communities that know how to care"
9. Sound Bite: "Living a good live with Dementia is living a good life period"
10. Sound Bite: "We are all born with a death sentence!"