Fading Minds and Hanging Chads:

Alzheimer’s Disease and the Right to Vote

Comments

senior voting with dementia
Gerthi Gobbelet

10/28/2008 9:19:16 AM

 I am very concerned that my mother-in-law who has severe dementia was asked to cast her vote for this election. She not only does not know the names of who is running for office, she knows nothing of what each one stands for. I asked her myself in the presence of the activites director at the assisted living facility in Wappinger Falls NY and she didn't know that she was even voting when she was told to check which person she wanted to vote for. This is outrageous in my opinion and something should be done about this situation since there are thousands of other seniors in much the same situation as she is.

Dementia Voting
Sherri

9/20/2008 1:31:51 PM

I enjoyed the article. I was very alarmed one day in May 2008 while sitting with a resident in an Alzheimer Unit, many of the residents were being taken to their rooms and asked who they wanted to vote for! None of these residents have a clue as to what they were doing. I was appalled!!

I felt it was degrading to the resident to "pretend" that they actually know what they are doing. They questions coming from the volunteers made it worse. I will look into the laws of Indiana further. People who have guardians because they can't deal with everday life decisions certainly should not be voting for leaders of our towns,citites and The United States.