Most of us have some idea of what Dementia/Alzheimer’s looks like. What we may not know is the entire complex as we know it is dominated by the single largest group of patients suffering from it: Baby Boomers. I’m not sure I can provide references to prove why it’s more severe among Boomers, but I do know at least one factor is the arrogant materialism built into the Boomer generation.
Previous generations didn’t feel quite so entitled as Boomers, though it began manifesting during the Silent Generation as they adopted the Boomer morality. Later generations haven’t gotten old enough to start manifesting dementia, so I’m not sure what to expect of them. However, I do know my own generation is loaded with serious crazies. For example, some charitable agency bought a new kitchen stove to replace the dangerous one some old lady had in her kitchen. She bitched and refused it because it didn’t fit the decor. Her house burned down with her in it.
I have no trouble beating the crap out of people who try to lay any senseless guilt trip on me about dealing with the crazy Boomers. Most of the guilt-trippers are Boomers themselves. Boomers were so self-absorbed, it was they who starting shuffling their parents off to nursing homes to get them out of the way. The Silents and Greats went along quietly for the most part. The Boomers know what’s coming and are fighting it, but if there is any group richly deserving it, they should be placed in the most highly regulated and worst institutions in history. And they will. If you’ve ever tried to take care of a normal Boomer who needed help, you’ve suffered some the worst behavior you’ll ever see. Add in the dementia factor and they aren’t hopeless, they are downright dangerous.
It’s not a matter of lacking love; these people are genuinely hopeless. Let a Boomer tell you: Don’t be ashamed; don’t hesitate to shove us into any convenient hole you can find when we start needing that level of care. Most of us will drive you out of your mind, and you’ll end up demented just from dealing with us.
I have to say I agree with your insight because I also see the patterns myself. I find the patterns that you mentioned seem to be more noticeable in English-speaking countries – though I’m not saying the English-speaking world is more prone to this, perhaps only that the non-English-speaking world are simply better at hiding or disguising it.
It depends mostly on a Western reaction to WW2 and the following economic changes. The US took a little time to retool the industrial base, and didn’t really share the wealth too nicely with her allies for awhile. At the same time, we were suffering some very subtle and dastardly changes in our education system that played into what makes Boomers so damnably materialistic and picky. As someone on FB noted, a significant factor in bringing on dementia may well be our adoption of margarine over butter. The current theory about Alzheimer’s is that, whatever the cause, it is seriously pushed along by artificial dietary fats.
Yes, my high-school biology teacher said the same thing too – and I believe her.