Monday, September 21, is World Alzheimer's Day, named by a federation of 71 Alzheimer's associations around the world in conjunction with the World Health Organization. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the important work being done at Alzheimer's Disease International.
I always get a bit wistful this time of year anyway because I lost my maternal grandmother to Alzheimer's, also 15 years ago. She had a September birthday, though by the time she died, she could not have told you when her birthday was. It's really hard to accept seeing someone you love so much ravaged by a disease that robs the memory bank into which they've been making deposits for life.
Grandma Mary ("GrandMary" to the great-grandchildren) once had a remarkable memory. She and my grandfather owned a successful real estate company together and she always amazed me with her ability to recall the most minute details of transactions that happened many years ago. Since her death, I have lost friends to Alzheimer's and my friends have lost loved ones. I've learned the disease doesn't respect age, so it's not something only the "elderly" get. In fact, the early onset of Alzheimer's is found in people under 65 (that would hit us boomers right smack in the face).
My own parents are in their 80s and blessed with sharp minds and good memories, but like many seniors, their physical health is quickly declining. So the challenge has become trying to figure out the right thing to do to ensure they get the care and support they need beyond what our family can provide. I used to bemoan the fact they live in a small rural town, figuring it would be especially difficult to get good support outside a major metro area.
That's why I was so encouraged to learn about The Lakeview Ranch in Darwin, MN, hardly the kind of town you'd go looking for a model organization serving Alzheimer's patients. At this facility, the focus isn't on keeping patients drugged and comfortable; on the contrary, they strive to keep residents as active as possible and communicating as well as they can. One secret, say the owners, is doing extensive research into each individual to understand their backgrounds beyond their medical conditions, getting to know them as people with a future, rather than a patient with little memory of the past. I hope while our country is going through health care reform more attention will be given to how we "house" our elderly, especially when they aren't able to be independent.
We boomers owe it our parents' generation, as well as ourselves, to do what we can to influence the way the elderly are cared for in this country. We need to get off the "youthful forever" mantra and realize the reality is that a good percent of us will one day suffer from a form of dementia. One way to prepare is to learn as much as possible through things like this Life Transitions Toolkit, offered by Great Places.
As much as I hate the expression "aging boomers" (isn't every generation aging?) I confess that this time of year, even I start to reflect more on the fact that I, too, will some day probably be elderly and in need of help.
What solutions have you found to caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's? What resources would you like to share with the readers of this blog? I'd love to hear from you!
P.S. After writing this on Sunday, September 21, I saw a new report on CNN that said the number of people with Alzheimer's is likely to double every 20 years. Wow.
