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How do we treat our pets?
Mostly with high regard and an abundance of
devotion. We love them unconditionally.
I learned a new phrase recently for the way an animal is looked upon with a missing or malformed limb. Not disabled as we look upon our own kind who are born with such a challenge. Instead of disabled, one pet owner referred to her devoted pet as differently abled.
What an open minded view in which to look upon an animal born with less than all of it’s appendages or by attack from another!
The program, broadcast on PBS, My Bionic Pet, was captivating, entertaining and thought provoking.
How is it that so many animal owners have a more compassionate way of treating their pet or animals they encounter in nature that exhibit missing or malformed parts of their bodies?
Why are more of us in our society not more compassionate about those among us who are differently abled?
As a long time caregiver for four aging parents of whom three have passed away due to illnesses complicated by Alzheimer’s dementia, the thought occurred to me of viewing what happened to my parents and others who suffer from dementia in a new light. Rather than considering my late family members and other dementia stricken folks as cognitively disabled, might it simply have been that each have merely been rendered differently abled?
In other words, each of them were compelled to have to operate, to communicate by a means different from what they and we were accustomed to for so many years. Except that now…the onus is on us to figure out, to be open minded enough (cast off judging attitudes along the side of the road) to embrace different ways of communicating/connecting with our loved one. So maybe, going forward, it has to be a kind of sign language, or abbreviated style of contact that conveys our acceptance, our understanding of what that person wants or is trying to say, just now in a different way than before.
Speech has become slurred or sentence structure is jumbled. How do we work around this?
Comprehension has become lessened. What simplified words, phrases, pictures, signs or miming will work to achieve the same thing?
As a caregiver, when faced with the care of a declining dementia patient or loved one, a unique challenge is definitely in store for you. Why not look upon it as a puzzle solving opportunity instead of drudgery or despair? The old key no longer works with the old lock. The tumblers inside the lock changed. Time to get busy and fashion a new key that will work on the old lock.
Our dementia afflicted loved one is still there, trying to hold onto hope and also hoping for a helping hand and heart
Find out in what ways they are still able to function and at what level. Make room for empathy, compassion and patience as additions to your caregiving tool kit. It’s differently abled time.
Thank You PBS!
Jeff Dodson
May 25th 2014
