Un po’ di nebbia a Venezia ❤

At my new job, we have a “lending library” of activities caregivers can use with clients that are so fun and that remind me of those I’ve used in the past. For instance, a popular memory game we’d play in Italy involved naming a fruit, a city, and an object for (almost) every letter of the alphabet. I especially enjoyed playing with one of my favorite nonnos, who was always happy, playful, and excited to participate. We would laugh so hard! There were numerous times, however, when he’d be stumped (and understandably so! Can you name a fruit that starts with z?!) When my love was unsure of an answer, he’d respond with “nebbia” to let me know he wanted a pass. Nebbia actually translates to “fog;” his mind was cloudy. His thoughts were also foggy when asked the names of his grandchildren and, occasionally, even his own kids.

What a powerful analogy. I’ve worn contacts since I was 12 years old and I am frighteningly helpless without them: I have no idea who I’m looking at, driving is a form of Russian Roulette, and I’m actually afraid to be up and moving around because I have such a hard time seeing that navigating even familiar surroundings is dangerous. Worse yet is that I know it shows… it’s mortifying! That being said, I can’t imagine my mind being foggy on top of my vision. If I can respond “fog” to an ophthalmologist and feel ashamed, I cannot fathom admitting I’m unclear about my brothers’ names.

A great friend of mine recently shared this video with me: http://youtu.be/QEmBmokHU3Q. It demonstrates the Virtual Dementia Tour, which is a method of instilling awareness and increasing understanding of the effects of dementia. The VDT uses sensory tools to mimic the fog that is created by Alzheimer’s. I am dying to try it, especially after seeing clips like the one above. I’ll be sure to wear my strongest contacts when I finally do :-O