Up to the present, dementia in all its forms has been viewed chiefly as a medical problem:  that is, a pathological condition that is irreversible and progressive, for which there is no cure and little chance for improvement.  We've written it off as actual  failure of the brain - until research discovers that elusive cure, there's nothing to be done.   But the paradigm is shifting.  Although we are still years, even decades, from a cure for dementia, we are learning that there's a better approach to what we have traditionally thought - a perception that is based not wholly on what the brain has lost but on what it has retained.  Rather than defining our view of the person by his or her illness, the experiential approach focuses on the person as an individual.  Rather than trying to force them into being who they once were, we come to respect and honor where they are today.  The experiential approach enhances quality of life for both the person living with the dementia as well as his family and caregivers.  It is undeniably the way we would all wish to be treated.  It is the future of dementia care.

Zebras may on the surface appear to be the same, all of them with their iconic black-and-white markings.  A herd of them can blurr one's vision.  But if one looks closer, it turns out that they are all different, their own distinctive stripes being unique to each animal.  Like snowflakes, there are no two that are alike.  Based on their particular parentage, their upbringing, their herd, their species, their physical health, and their DNA, they are each one an individual.  We make a critical error when we assume that because they may exhibit similar patterns as another, they are the same. 

In addition, we are still learning about zebras and their markings.  For instance, it was previously believed that zebras were white with black stripes.  More recent evidence, however, shows it's the other way around.  But how is this significant?  What effect does this have on our traditional beliefs about this species?  A wide variety of hypotheses have been proposed, but the bottom line is, there is still much we do not know.  

Dementia, our understanding of it, and our attempts at treating it are going through a similar advancement.  Earlier misconceptions are being replaced by new findings.  Like peeling the layers off an onion, the more we learn, the more we have to learn.  But one thing we do know for sure:  each person who has this disease, who lives with the changes, challenges, and confusion each day, is a unique individual.  He is not merely one of the herd of five million people who are also learning to live with dementia.  He is a unique human being who is doing the best he can to live with a profound handicap.  We must never fail to recognize this, and to honor and respect the individual in spite of his illness.