Introduction: Ageing, Disability and Spirituality

It seems obvious that ageing and disability are associated. This is most readily seen in the physical changes and decrements of later life. One of the more common disabilities of later life is dementia. Two views of dementia currently dominate the literature. The first, is the bio-medical view of dementia as a disease of increasing cognitive decline that robs the person of abilities over a number of years, with increasing memory loss. The second view prefers to see dementia as more commonly associated with ageing, and questions that it is always a disease process. This chapter supports the proposal that well-being, including spiritual well-being, is possible and achievable for many older people not withstanding their disabilities. What is required is a willingness to look outside the disabilities, to see these people, not assessed according to various scales that would label them as being more or less worthy of care, but as persons, equally as any other persons, with or without disability.