A Lesson in Perspective
My father often counseled me on how to be a critical thinker during my childhood in Los Angeles and throughout my life. He was a police officer who dedicated himself to the safety of the city and people of Pasadena for 27 years, rising through the ranks to Police Chief before retiring. In his work he saw firsthand how one’s unique view of the world around them and the choices they make, based on that perspective, affects their quality of life. He frequently told me to remember, “reality is perception.” Over time that truth has sunk in deeper and has manifested itself in a variety of ways.
Life as a Rorschach Test
Every day presents us with new experiences, exposes us to different ideas and therefore many choices to make about ourselves and others. I recently came across an article about a new way to apply the Rorschach inkblot test. My fuzzy recollection of the few Psychology courses I took in college is not much help to me now, however I instantly recognized the mirrored ink blot patterns and was curious about the relevance of the Rorschach method today. While people can make out similar images in an otherwise ambiguous ink blot, (a moth, butterfly, bat) each person sees them differently.
After diving into a few articles about the ink blot tests I realized that just daily life is a Rorschach test — each person sees and experiences the same world in many different ways. Similar to how different people will see and interpret the random ink blots of a Rorschach test. How we see and interpret an object or event is a reflection of where we are at emotionally, physically, mentally and even spiritually at that time. And the perception of that object or event can be very different than others witnessing the very same thing. There in lies a conundrum of how to reconcile the various perceptions people will have of the very same event, and furthermore to solve the puzzle of how to communicate in a way that is helpful to all concerned. Being conscious about this reality of multiple perspectives is incredibly challenging to people who have excellent brain health. Now bring in the multiple perspectives of people living with brain change (dementia) and that challenge is magnified to such a large degree that it can feel hopeless.
When Dementia Changes Perception
For loved ones living with brain change (dementia), they are grappling with the confusing way their brains are taking in sensory perception from their world. First and foremost, our visual cortex helps us process the majority of information that we take in to understand our world. For people living with dementia, the visual cortex often becomes impaired, making the perception of their world more confusing, sometimes creating frustration and anxiety. The Rorschach ink blot that was once a beautiful tree with birds has now become a haunted house.
Seeing the World Through Their Eyes
Being mindful that reality is perception for those in our care is step one to being skilled care partners. Developing a mindset with a clear understanding of the visual cortex and how it is changing can make all the difference in our perception of dementia care and the experience our loved ones have during care.
How Perception Shapes Mealtime
For example, how I set up a resident’s meal and orient the resident to mealtime can improve their experience and increase how much they eat and drink. How I place the plate (with deep sides for ease in eating), utensils and drink can change everything. If a resident has left sided visual neglect, I can place their utensils and drink on their right. Then turn the plate 180 degrees midway through the meal so that they can better see and eat everything on the plate. I have seen residents leave half of their plate full, not because they didn’t have a good appetite but because they only perceived food on half of the plate.
Turning “Uh Oh” Into “Ah Ha!”
The sky is the limit on the many applications of a mindset for caregiving that is open to learning and understanding how those in our care experience their world. Visual input reigns supreme in how our brains process information. Using that understanding as we go about our daily caregiving tasks can foster more “Ah ha! Now I get it!” moments and fewer “Uh oh” moments. That said — an “Uh oh” simply means it’s time to try the caregiver mindset: “What more do I need to learn and understand how my loved one is seeing and experiencing their world.”
In Memory of Dan Cherrick
An amazing resident of 8 years, Dan Cherrick, passed away a few weeks ago. Each day that I walk into work at Creekside Cottage I look for Dan, a father figure, who always sat at the head of the dining table to read the newspaper and take notes on what sports events were on TV that day. He greeted me every morning for 8 years when I started my work day, and usually offered to help me with anything I needed, anytime. And he meant it. I was honored to be there for him all these years and at the end of his life of 86 years. We miss him dearly and celebrate knowing him.
In Memory of Dan Cherrick
Daniel “Dan” Peter Cherrick Obituary Sep 13, 2026 – Adobe Creek Funeral Home and Cremation Services
Alzheimer’s News
The role of hormone therapy during menopause and the reduction of Alzheimer’s in women:
Resources Used for This Blog
Articles on Rorschach test – Google Search
Hospice Resources
Hospice information for care providers and nurses: Understanding the signs of active dying and communicating with families so that they have the opportunity to adjust their schedules and be with their loved one in their last days and hours.