We are not really so autonomous as we think we are. We are not as self-directed or independent as we think we are. Even as caretakers, we find that we really do count on others more than we think. When someone has Alzheimer's not only do they forget who they are, but people around them begin to forget, too . The illness has a way of making us lower our standards.
Family members find themselves telling stories in a simpler way.
If the person confuses people, we let it go. If hygiene becomes difficult, we lower the standards. The disease emphasizes something that is true for us all. Remembering is difficult. The most alert persons, communities, societies have trouble remembering things accurately.