I was talking to someone recently about my love of criticizing hotel carpets for not being dementia friendly. (We all have hobbies, right?)

The person responded with, “I see your point. But how many people with dementia really stay in hotels?”

The answer is 984,830. Just kidding.

I don’t have any specific data to answer that question but…a lot. A lot of people with dementia stay in hotels.

Just like a lot of people with dementia eat in restaurants. A lot of people with dementia go to sporting events. A lot of people with dementia go to movies.

Here’s a list of things that people with dementia do:

Play golf.

Go to SuperTarget.

Enjoy concerts.

Drink coffee at Starbuck’s.

Ride bikes.

Work out at gyms.

Go to wineries and breweries.

Get their hair cut at salons.

Does everyone with dementia do all of these things? Of course not. But, to be fair, I don’t play golf and I prefer to drink coffee at places other than Starbuck’s.

Obviously, as dementia progresses, it increases the need for support as people with dementia do these activities. And, people with dementia eventually may have to give up some of the things they enjoy. They often experience a series of losses when they have to give up hobbies.

But that doesn’t happen at the moment of diagnosis.

There’s this time between diagnosis and death. It’s called life. (I’d like to think I made that up, but I probably stole it from somewhere.)

I once told a chiropractor about an opportunity to become a dementia friendly business. His response was that he wasn’t interested in going into nursing homes to practice.

The misconceptions about dementia in our communities still surprise me. We don’t seem to be understanding that many people living with dementia are….living. They may need new strategies and supports. Life changes, and it goes on.

I may not have an exact number of people with dementia who stay in hotels. Maybe that’s my next research study. (Me: Can I interview you? Do you stay in hotels? Do you have dementia?)

However, I can tell you that 4 out of 5 people with dementia do not live in a facility. Where do they live? They live in the same environments most of us do–with our spouses or partners, with family, with friends, alone…even in homeless shelters.

That person who asked me how many people with dementia actually stay in hotels?

When I said a lot, he responded with, “Well, I stay in a hotels all the time and I’ve never seen one.”

Sigh.