Alzheimer's Disease !

 I read a friend’s post about a veteran suffering from an early onset of Alzheimer’s dementia.

 I have been disturbed since then and all those patients I have seen over the course of the last 20 years, their faces flashed by; some faces easily remembered by their names, some easily forgotten. 

Usually, I post photos of myself or children or something that takes my mind off but it’s not working and hence here is my little rambling. 

My heart goes out to this woman who is taking care of her husband and two children, this woman who was once a wife and still is but now must take care of her husband as a mother …...

 I am not an authority on how the US government treats its veterans but  after working in the nursing homes  as an Occupational Therapist for so long ( In the USA, nursing home is a place for adults 65 years  plus where they can get assistance if they can no longer  live at home  independently, meaning  if they  are not able to perform even routine tasks such as feeding self , bathing, dressing or getting up and going to the bathroom); having worked with them and their families first hand, I  have an idea about  how one suffers silently taking care of their loved one with Alzheimer’s. 

It is not just about the person himself who is suffering from the disease but about the caregiver, family, and loved ones. I have seen many people suffering from this dreadful disease reduced to a mere body, the disease that starts out with a memory loss at first, wandering behavior as they start forgetting their whereabouts, to then a complete memory loss eventually losing or forgetting the ability to speak, move or even to eat, losing all cognitive function such as thinking and reasoning. While the person inside the body is lost, the most burden is placed that on the caregiver, to take care of your loved one who is physically there but isn’t there, to make sure the car keys are taken away, all the doors are locked, the electric appliances are either locked/turned off (I had a patient once who put a cat in the dryer), it eventually takes a toll, emotionally drains you while the person himself is totally oblivious to his/her surroundings.  The caregiver goes on  for days, months and sometimes for years  in the grim hope of some lucid moments  that are frequent in the beginning but slowly disappear altogether , that they will recognize you, the children,  even if it is for a few seconds . It’s sad but it’s real with no cure. 

 I have come across many caregivers going through feelings of guilt when they must place their loved ones into a nursing home or a lock down unit (for the patients’ safety). 

If you know a person who is taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s, besides offering your prayers, please offer them some support, run some errands for them, or just go in and spend some time with them as they themselves are social outcasts. More than half the time, the caregiver isn’t sure what course of action they should take. I know nobody likes to talk about death but it’s real. Make sure you talk to your loved ones about your wishes. It’s worse than taking care of a baby where the baby shows you some signs of affection, but in case of Alzheimer’s, there is this grown-up person reduced to just a “body.” My ramblings on this Thursday!!!!

Image obtained from Google.