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Identity

One man turned nursing home design on its head when he created this stunning facility

"What if we design an environment that looks like outside?" he said. "What if I can have a sunrise and sunset inside the building?



92-year-old Norma had a strange and heartbreaking routine.

Every night around 5:30 p.m., she stood up and told the staff at her Ohio nursing home that she needed to leave. When they asked why, she said she needed to go home to take care of her mother. Her mom, of course, had long since passed away.

Behavior like Norma's is quite common for older folks suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Walter, another man in the same assisted living facility, demanded breakfast from the staff every night around 7:30.

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It's probably not dementia.

If you’re anything like most overwhelmed adults, you may sometimes find yourself forgetting why you walked into a room. Perhaps you've wondered if it's an early sign of dementia. You let the thought flow while knowing you’re likely too young … but what about early onset dementia, you might think to yourself? If you've had this thought more than once, watch this video as it ought to put your mind at ease. Teepa Snow from Positive Approach to Care (PAC) demonstrates the difference between normal forgetfulness and dementia (a general term for a variety of conditions, one of which is Alzheimer's disease).

In the video, Snow sits in a chair and thinks out loud that she would like to make a cup of coffee but on her way to do so, her phone rings. The conversation involves several details and by the time she hangs up, she’s forgotten why she was standing up in the first place. It’s an occurrence that probably happens multiple times a day in most households. You start to do something and get distracted by a pet, child or phone call, then completely forget what you were going to do in the first place. The feeling is frustrating, but sometimes it turns into concern, especially if it happens multiple times a week.

Snow effectively demonstrates how dementia differs from forgetfulness and the contrast is mind-blowing. When Snow sits back in the chair to set the stage for the dementia example, the audience appears shocked by the notable difference. She gets up to make coffee, answers the phone then begins rambling about someone stealing her drinking glasses before tucking it away safely in the freezer. Yes, the freezer.

The stark contrast between average forgetfulness and dementia is so effectively displayed that it should ease the minds of many overworked and overly stressed people.

Pop Culture

A viral short film shows the struggles families face when dealing with dementia

'The Wait' was originally released in 2018, but has recently resurfaced thanks to Reddit.

A short film shows the complexities of dealing with an ailing parent.

Caring for an ailing parent takes a real toll on a person. And when you're dealing with other things in your life, it can feel like you're drowning. In a short film called "The Wait," director Jason McColgan paints a heartbreaking but realistic portrait of what it is like to care for an aging parent suffering from dementia.

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Woman screams at a TikTok user she accused of stealing a car.

Guilherme Peruca turned on his phone's camera and started recording after an elderly woman began screaming at him through his passenger side window in a Lowe's parking lot. The woman was accusing him of stealing her friend's car, but she was mistaken.

"I need help!" the woman yells outside of his passenger side window. "Someone's trying to steal my best friend's car."

When Peruca told the woman the car was his she yelled back, "Get outta here" as she tried to pry open the door.

"He's stealing this car, it's not his!" the woman continued. "I don't care what he says!"

Eventually, a Lowe's employee intervened to sort out the situation. Peruca showed her his driver's license and car registration to prove the vehicle was his and then the employee calmly guided the woman away.

Peruca didn't need to show her his paperwork but he did so anyway just to deescalate the situation.

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