A Man Suffering Dementia Is Humiliated To Tears

We all love touching holiday stories, so this is an Easter story.

Easter at Seven Ponds lakes
Credit: Wallwuzz.com

My middle brother called family members for the Easter holiday and told the same story to each of us. He was quite upset. It all begins on the arcadian shore of the real Seven Ponds lakes on which the lovely Swiss Farm sits. The Swiss Farm is about 90 acres shared by over 29 (originally) Swiss families and their homes. All of my family members, including myself, have a home or lot there. It’s set up as a corporation, all one piece of land. And like tradition of women’s suffrage in Switzerland, the Swiss Farm still does not allow women to attend the meetings or vote.

Upon hearing this Mr. Scotford immediately begins to weep tears in front of a room full of these men.

This story takes place at the most recent meeting which only my middle brother attended. My other male family members have long lost interest in the meetings—for good reason, I would say. At the meeting the president discusses whether a member, Mr. Scotford, who is suffering from dementia, is mentally capable of voting. He does this in the presence of Mr. Scotford, who upon hearing this immediately begins to weep in front of the room full of these men.

At this point I will ask, HOW the hell in this day and age, in this country, there are laws that allow women to be banned from attending meetings and voting on their own homes? And how is it that men can be so insensitive as to humiliate their own kind? Especially someone suffering from dementia. This upsets my brother so much he tells this story to each family member.

At this point I will ask how the hell in this day and age and in this country, there are laws that allow women to be banned  from attending meetings and voting on their own homes?

Mr. Scotford returns home from the meeting and cannot recall any details to his wife. She puts in a special request to the Swiss Farm for permission to attend the meetings. Of course she’s voted down.

My mom discusses this with me. She recalls years ago a Swiss member whose husband suffered from a stroke and her father from dementia. This woman would joke with my mother about how, when the two men would return from the meetings, one was unable to remember anything and the other couldn’t tell her anything. She tells this story in a humorous way. Sadly it all doesn’t seem so humorous to me.

Ah yes, this was one of those personal, touching holiday stories (but now it’s an Easter story).

Or was it?

Further reading:

• How Do You Prepare for Dementia?
• 10 Ways You Can Help a Loved One With Alzheimer’s Survive Hospitalization 
• A Woman Without a Place, A man loses his mother to Alzheimer’s.