Dementia patients can’t make decisions.
You’ve got some things confused here.
A diagnosis of “dementia” per se does not preclude anyone from making decisions about their futures, placement, finances or whatever. In fact, a diagnosis of “dementia” is simply a category of mental dysfunction that can be attributed to many definitive diagnoses. Many things cause dementia that is to say.
When it comes to decision-making, a diagnosis of dementia alone does not say much about the person’s level of functioning because there are multiple types of dementia and each type can vary in severity according to the stage of progression it is in.
The short of this is that determining the causes of dementia is a medical exercise. But determining competency to make decisions is a legal one.
People with dementia, regardless of cause, can make their own decisions until it is legally proven they cannot.
The other thing to realize is that Parkinson’s Disease has been well established as a cause of dementia.
Theres more to consider in Biden’s case than your post suggests.
Allowing dementia patients to make decisions isn’t sensible... As soon as you’ve been diagnosed that you have dementia, pick a person... That person will make your decisions... Not you. In Joe’s case, this would Jill.
“People with dementia, regardless of cause, can make their own decisions until it is legally proven they cannot.”
That is correct—and is why folks with dementia only need to remember one thing—stay away from lawyers.
Everyone should write it down and hang it up on their wall as a reminder—for when they get dementia.
;-)