Impaired Insight in Dementia: When the Patient Says "I'm Fine"
Let’s start with the most important point: When older adults with dementia say “I’m fine, no problem,” it’s often not stubbornness, nor a refusal to face reality. It’s that their brain literally cannot detect its own decline. In medicine, this is called impaired insight, and it’s a part of dementia itself. This is an extension of the post Do 80-Year-Olds Still Need to Exercise?, written for those of you who are caring for a family member with dementia and feeling frustrated that “they won’t admit it and won’t listen.” ...