Unfortunately, "A Slow Death" may seem harsh when talking about this disease. Alzheimer's disease is an accelerating condition that alters and changes the parts of the brain that involve memory, intelligence, judgement, language function, and behavior. Most of the infected doesn't realize what is wrong, usually it's the closest family members that start to notice the changes.
It is not clear as to how this Disease is started or why it happens and the research is always ongoing all over the world. Typical early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include: Memory loss, inability to use judgment and make decisions, confusion about what time and day it is, getting lost in familiar places, difficulty learning and remembering new information, difficulty expressing himself or herself, decreasing ability to perform everyday tasks like cooking a meal or paying bills. There is no cure for Alzheimer's but there are medicines to slow the process of this killing disease but there are ways to prevent this disease from creeping up on someone you love.
In a post of a great blog writer(thank you Lisa!) I found out about a great program, "Art Without Boundaries." They are looking for individuals willing to open AWB chapters by participating in a paid apprenticeship program. This organization's mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other related disorders by providing Mneme Therapy.
I am a Psychology Major and I have been volunteering for two years in the Alzheimer's Unit at Shady Rest Care Pavillion in Fort Myers, Florida. I remember my first day there I was nervous and unaware of first hand affects of Alzheimer's on the people involved. The other volunteers and I set up the activities room for a game of Bingo for the residents. The residents all came in and of course needed help with playing the simple game of Bingo they use to know. There was one resident that clung to my every word. After Bingo, I wheeled him back to his room and we were almost to his room and he got really upset and said it was his birthday and no one remembered. I felt horrible and got one of the nurses and told her what he said. She smiled and said, "Sweetheart, it isn't his birthday but when he was younger his parents never celebrated his birthday because they were always too busy, he had 11 brothers and sisters." He thought he was turning 8 years old, in reality his was 98 years old. Alzheimer's can make its victims remember their childhood and they tend to live in the past as their present. I left the nursing home with another volunteer and we went to the store and got balloons, cake and a stuffed animal--we went back to the home and surprised him for his "birthday." It was actually one the greatest moments in my life.
Alzheimer's can take away a family member without putting them in the grave but there are ways to play along with the disease. I learned that the first day with interacting with someone with Alzheimer's. There is hope and researchers that are getting closer to the answers some people may need.
5 comments:
I enjoyed reading this post and it’s great that you listed ways to prevent this disease. I also liked how you presented at the end, that there are positive ways to play along with the disease. You’re story really inspired me! Thank you for sharing it and keep up the great work!
Wow, I was really touched by your story at the end. Oftentimes it is more difficult for family members to deal with this form of anterograde amnesia because Alzheimers patients usually remember older memories, such as their childhood and early adulthood very well. However, they forget how to do simple tasks, family members names, etc. My great-grandmother has a very advanced form of Alzheimer's disease. Sometimes she is more "with it" than other times, but she is 94 years old and still says things like "I have to go home now to bring my baby her bottle," and she is referring to my 65 year-old grandmother (her baby).It is important to understand how to prevent this disease through mental exercises like crossword puzzles to help rebuild synapses in the brain before it's too late.
First of all what a great post. I was very touched by your story and even teared up. I can relate to your experience very well. About five years ago when I first moved to Florida I started working at a assisted living/retirement facility. At least the first month I went home upset and depressed. The elderly that I had met there suffered from many illnesses associated with getting older, but it was the people that didn’t know what was going on and would get confused. The people with Alzheimers were those people. I remember a woman who would get upset because “she lost her purse” or she would say “someone had taken it or stolen it from her.” I brought the issue up with one of the nurses and found out that she hadn’t owned a purse for many years. Another sad example is a woman that would get so excited because supposedly her daughter was to visit and she was bringing her a teddy bear. Apparently she had been saying this for a long time and I found out that her daughter never had visited her since she came to the facility. These experiences made me appreciate life a lot more and think about how I could never do that to my loved ones. I began to really enjoy my job there because the people were so nice and looked forward to seeing me everyday and visit with me. It’s kind of sad that I was a highlight of their day as opposed to say seeing one of their own family members.
Wow! That's what I have to say for this article. Although I never personally have never come into contact with anyone who has Alzheimer's, this story touched me. I have worked with old people in nursing homes before and it is amazing how just one visit can brighten their whole month. I couldn't imagine having to live in a nursing home. What do these people go through at this point in their life. Their own families I am sure start to abandon them after a while especially with Alzheimer's because like in The Notebook, the patient forgets his or her family. It is good to know though that there are positive ways of dealing with the deterioration rather than just giving up on them.
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