Living with Dementia

living with dementia from Dan Giannopoulos on Vimeo.

Dennis is 86 years of age. On the 30th August 2008 he suffered a major stroke, which paralysed the left hand side of his body. After 2 months in hospital he was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia.


Vascular Dementia is a condition that causes a progressive decline in the mental abilities of its sufferer. Its onset is characterised by a loss of memory as well as deterioration of one’s ability to carry out everyday activities. The sufferer’s personality and behaviour become markedly different.




Dementia not only impacts on the life of the sufferer it also irrevocably changes the lives of the sufferer’s loved ones. Victims, once active and independent, are reliant on others to complete basic tasks.


Families struggle to cope with the loss of the person they knew whilst dealing with the immediate reality of the victim’s condition and the associated frustrations. Dementia is unique in one crucial aspect; families grieve as though their loved one has already died.


The following set of images are a small selection from a long term project that aims to document the stress and heartbreak that a stroke and stroke related Vascular Dementia put on the victim and their family but also the tenderness that comes from caring for a loved one suffering this tragic illness.