I'm My Own Person

Abstract

Throughout his 17-years of dementia, the author's husband continued to assert his personhood. The author discusses the retention of an essential self in persons with dementia by exploring the congruence between the self her husband was before dementia, after onset, and until the end of his life. The chapter contains a discussion of the negative labels given to persons with dementia (empty shell, husk, zombie) and the dangers of such dehumanization, which are based on brain-centric and utilitarian views of personhood.