KrisIrving's Blog
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Alzheimer's Awareness Month
- Posted on 11.16.08
November is both Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and National Family Caregiver Month, and though its message recently seems to have lost the spotlight to various other causes, the millions of people suffering from it, and the millions of family members and care-givers who deal with its realities daily, should not be forgotten. There are approximately 5 million people in the US and 16 million people worldwide suffering from Alzheimer’s disease today. For every person with Alzheimer’s, there is often at least one person who directly cares for them and a host of healthcare, social workers, advocates, volunteers and support workers in the background.
While symptoms of Alzheimer’s were first officially recorded in the beginning of the 20th century, perhaps its most public acknowledgement came when President Reagan launched a national campaign against the disease 25 years ago, proclaiming November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Month in 1983. He advocated research as "the only hope for victims and families." The former president announced his Alzheimer diagnosis to the public in 1994 and passed away ten years later.
Various myths still exist about Alzheimer’s disease, including the one about old people being the only ones at risk for it. Did you know that Alzheimer's can strike people in their 30s, 40s and 50s? Of the estimated 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, some 500,000 people under age 65 have Alzheimer's or related dementia. Many people also believe that Alzheimer’s disease is not fatal. Alzheimer's disease will kill you. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully takes away your identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find your way home.
Like many families who lose loved ones to Alzheimer’s, when my maternal great-grandmother started displaying signs of memory loss in the mid-eighties, everyone chalked it up to her old age, even joking about some of the items that went missing, or about the fact that we would hear the same story sometimes up to 20 times. The journey from those initial symptoms to her passing 5 years later, not recognizing any of us and being completely unable to care for herself, were some of the most brutal years for our family. Over a decade later my paternal grandmother would lose an almost 6 year battle to Alzheimer’s. Observing this slow death of the mind first and the body second, of the frustrations that accompanied not remembering immediate family member’s names to forgetting how to use the bathroom was so very painful for everyone involved. Each day brought with it new challenges and hurts, will she know who I am when I go to visit today, will she accuse me of being someone who has betrayed her years ago and demand that I leave?
While theories abound, there is still no absolute recognized cause for Alzheimer’s, and presently no cure. In the past, people believed memory loss was a normal part of aging, often regarding even Alzheimer’s as natural age-related decline. Experts now recognize severe memory loss as a symptom of serious illness. Many people feel that their memory becomes less sharp as they grow older, but determining whether there is any scientific basis for this belief is a research challenge still being addressed.
WE CAN DO OUR PART NOW! While we can’t control our heredity, there are some risk factors we have the ability to influence. Some of the strongest evidence links brain health to heart health. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia appears to be increased by many conditions that damage the heart or blood vessels. These include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high cholesterol. Other evidence suggest that strategies for overall healthy aging may help keep the brain healthy and may even offer some protection against developing Alzheimer’s or related diseases. Try to keep your weight within recommended guidelines, avoid tobacco and excess alcohol, stay socially connected, and exercise both your body and mind.
If you would like to learn more, find ways to get involved in the cause, or sign a “Proclamation to President-elect Obama,” letting him know that Americans want Alzheimer’s to be a national priority, visit Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org, and let’s hear it for the unsung heroes in the battle against Alzheimer’s, the family members, caregivers and health care professionals who love, visit, and give so much of their time and resources to comfort those who often can’t give so much as a thank you in return. Recognition of this month is to draw attention to the efforts that still need to be made on behalf of the medical community, and to highlight your tireless efforts on behalf of those suffering from Alzheimer’s. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Related causes: Health
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