Indy woman with dementia shares powerful message

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis woman wants you to know that she and others like her are still valuable members of this community.

Becky Barton lives with dementia — a group of conditions which affect brain function.

Barton is the recent recipient of the Dementia Friends Indiana Advocate Award.

CICOA

She hopes talking about her experience with the condition will break down stigma.

Barton is a singer — standards, opera, she even performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Choir.

WATCH | Becky Barton sings 'Mambo Italiano'

But in recent years, she’s had to turn down the dial on her joyful tune.

“I have dementia. Big deal. Not really," Barton said. “Trying to have people understand that people that are like me. A lot of people think that people with dementia don’t have any say in things.”

Dementia causes her to have a speech impediment.

Her difficulty communicating has put a halt on a lot of aspects of her life, including singing.

“That’s one thing that I had to let go because I couldn’t get the words out. To articulate it," Barton said.

Barton is a former occupational therapist and longtime professor at University of Indianapolis.

But today she focuses mostly on her two grandkids, 8-year-old Dillon and 4-year-old Emma.

Becky Barton

Barton is a member of the Dementia Friendly Indianapolis Action Team and is a speaker through CICOA’s “Living Well with Dementia” series.

The nonprofit supports older adults and people with disabilities here in the Hoosier state.

“Most people with dementia actually live in our community. They don’t live in assisted living or nursing homes. They lives right here in your community. They’re your next door neighbor," Dementia Programs Coordinator, Amaris Scahill said.

Scahill encourages folks to be more aware of people with dementia living among them and make them feel welcome and comfortable.

“That could be as simple as being patient with somebody in the grocery store who may need a little bit of extra assistance or advocating for some of those social norms, breaking down that stigma," Scahill said.

CICOA

Here’s 10 warning signs of dementia according to Alzheimer’s Association:

• Memory loss
• Inability to problem solve
• Difficulty completing tasks
• Confusion
• Trouble understanding visual images
• Problems with writing or speaking
• Misplacing items
• Poor judgment
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Changes in mood or personality

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