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Bear in mind words that hurt
Inappropriate words used to describe dementia impact those living with the condition as well as influence societal attitudes
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Some people refer to dementia in Chinese as "chi dai zheng", a phrase that implies a disease that causes one to be foolish and dim-witted.
It is a term that never fails to irk Ms Emily Ong, 53, who has young-onset dementia, which affects people younger than 65. And she wants people to understand that such words not only hurt, but also influence societal attitudes towards people with dementia.

