November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, designated to spread awareness on the disease, educate the public on symptoms, and raise funds for Alzheimer’s and dementia research. As someone with a grandmother who is currently living with Alzheimer’s, this really hits close to home.
Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, as well other cognitive, language, and processing abilities. Accounting for about 60-80% of cases, Alzheimer’s is the most prevalent form of dementia. Symptoms gradually worsen over time, beginning with simple memory loss, and progressing eventually to the complete loss of language ability and environmental awareness. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease only live around four to eight years on average after being diagnosed, however they can live much longer depending on various factors. It’s important to recognize the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease as early as possible, so proper care and treatment can be administered.
10 Early Warning Signs, according to the Alzheimer’s Association:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
Watching my grandmother progress through the symptoms of Alzheimer’s has been a devastating experience. My once lively, sarcastic, and talkative grandma can no longer form sentences, and struggles to get simple words out. Her hair, which was always dyed and styled, now lays flat and gray. I will forever see her as the woman she once was. With vibrant, colorful outfits and a full face of makeup, which she wore up until she could no longer apply it. I know that she would want me to see her in her true form.
My grandmother’s descent began with simple memory loss, something easily written off as a symptom of aging. But this was different, abnormal. She started to forget words, and her memory loss progressively impacted her daily life.
It took a long time for my family to truly grasp the situation. I was the first to ring the alarm bells when it came to my grandmother driving. I told my mom that I was worried about my grandma being on the road with her cognitive decline, but my mom felt like there wasn’t much she could do, my grandma wouldn’t listen to her. Eventually, the problem could no longer be ignored. One afternoon, my grandma accidentally drove her car down a set of stairs, thinking it was another road. She was okay, but her car had to be towed off the stairs, and this incident made it undeniable that something was seriously wrong.
I was very frightened of what could happen if she kept driving, as she could hurt herself or someone else on the road. Finally, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and it took a doctor’s order for her to stop driving–which took way too long to obtain for my liking. Most people with dementia don’t recognize, or struggle to acknowledge, that they have a problem, so resistance to treatment or intervention is common.
My grandma now lives in a residential memory care unit not far from my house. The home is an extremely difficult and upsetting place to visit. It’s sad to see the state of all the patients, some who don’t even know where they are. My mom has been amazing in making sure my grandma receives the best possible care. She visits her regularly and makes sure to take her out on various excursions around town.
Alzheimer’s is genetic, so there is an increased chance that my mother could suffer from the disease one day. If this does occur, I hope I can take care of her the same way she has taken care of her mom.
As the holidays approach, we can’t help but worry this may be my grandma’s last holiday season with us. It hurts to see her as a shell of the woman she once was. I worry about the day she may no longer recognize me and the heartbreak that will entail. But I am choosing to be grateful that she is not there yet, and plan to make the most of this season with her.
While Alzheimer’s Disease is incurable, there are various treatment options that can help slow the progression of symptoms, so it is imperative that Alzheimer’s is recognized early. If you or a loved once is experiencing symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association has various resources to help, including Communicating with Your Health Care Team, 1o Steps to Approach Memory Concerns in Others, and 1o Steps to Approach Memory Concerns in Yourself.
Alzheimer’s research still has a long way to go. There are many organizations and nonprofits that take donations towards Alzheimer’s research to find new treatments, and hopefully a possible cure. If you would like to donate to any of these organizations, you can do so on their websites linked below.
Places to donate:
- Alzheimer’s Association: alz.org
- Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: alzfdn.org
- Cure Alzheimer’s Fund: curealz.org
- Dementia Society of America: dementiasociety.org