KING LEAR AS A STUDY OF SENILE DEMENTIA

Abstract

Senility or senile dementia is a term originally used for long-term and gradual decline in cognitive abilities of people aged above 65 years (Homma, 2001). The recent literature indicates that dementia is growing rapidly and its prevalence rises with rising age, normally above 65 years (Handels, et al., 2014; Moon et al., 2016). Burns and Iliffe (2009) and Hersch & Falzgraf (2007) in their work highlight that people with dementia also suffer from emotional instability, lack of motivation, language difficulties and memory loss in daily life functioning. Moreover, the report prepared by Alzheimer’s Australia (April 2008) in collaboration with Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre claims that dementia is normally hard to diagnose as it possesses various characteristics that are part of normal ageing conditions. Various studies also indicate that the onset of dementia spoils relationships and changes intimacy into isolation as caretakers also respond to the detachment they face (Hellström, & Torres, 2016; Shanley et al., 2011; Wuest, Ericson, & Stern, 1994). Previous literature has also shown that people suffering from dementia have many behavioral and psychological expressions as they display inappropriate verbal and physical behaviors (Cohen-Mansfield, 2004; Senanarong et al., 2004). With growing age, people face personality changes as well as they lose motivation, are irritable, show self-centered behaviors, express insensitive behaviors and many others (Kar, 2009; Lishman, 1987).