ABSTRACT
The way in which a person with dementia understands and responds to the condition depends crucially on that person's awareness of any changes, symptoms, or dif®culties that arise as the condition develops and progresses, and of the implications of these. As we saw in the last chapter, awareness in this sense is a key element of the `illness representation', which in turn helps to shape coping and adjustment. People with dementia, especially in the early stages, appear to vary considerably in the degree of awareness that they demonstrate. Awareness is an important concept in dementia care, with signi®cant implications for the well-being and support needs of people with dementia and of their family members and carers. This chapter focuses on awareness and the factors that in¯uence its development and expression in people with early-stage dementia, in order to draw out the implications for rehabilitation.
