Alzheimer’s afflicted my Aunt Jan at a young age. Her home was her haven, protected with a wood fence and lock. As her disease progressed, she lost the keys, and her solution was to hang the replacements like ornaments from the gate. While practical to Aunt Jan, this also made her vulnerable to anyone passing by. She could no longer use the key to keep unwanted people out or to allow herself in. When any key’s purpose was forgotten it joined the others as lawn décor, reduced to the label of “mystery key.”
After her move, I saved her keys and gate lock, enamored by the connection between the objects and her disease. Her memories and skills are locked away, yet her actions are uninhibited by social norms. Her mind is no longer constrained by these norms but is also no longer protected by them. The now useless keys are evidence of a once highly intelligent individual’s life with Alzheimer’s.
