People are afraid of the stigma it causes and the drugs used to treat the disease are not always successful. Once diagnosed, patients will stop taking the drugs if they feel no different or will stop taking them when they feel better because they think they have been cured. Many people go their entire lives without a real diagnosis, but they know there is a problem. In "A Worn Path". Phoenix knows he has a problem. She knows her mind is abandoning her, but she doesn't know she suffers from dementia. The medical office staff treats Phoenix poorly. It is quickly dismissed as a charity case. No one in the office shows any sympathy for Phoenix. There is no offer to arrange transportation for the elderly woman to return home. First, he had to face many hurdles to reach the office. He walked, in the cold, to the office. She was pushed into a ditch by a dog and was probably wet, so she must have looked unkempt when she arrived at the office. Compassionate care would try to help her get the services she needed. If the staff was worried whether the grandchild was alive or dead, they sent the relevant agency to go to his home and check the situation. Phoenix needs someone to step up and help her. She would benefit from having a true diagnosis of dementia because there are medications that could bring her back to health and she might be able to have fewer episodes where she loses it