Community Magazine December 2009

“The Saddest Experience” Alzheimer’s Disease, a progressive neurological disorder, is the most common form of dementia, a serious brain disorder that impacts daily living through memory loss and cognitive changes. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, progressing from mild forgetfulness to widespread neurological impairment and, ultimately, death. The person stricken with the disease undergoes seven stages of cognitive and motor skills loss, but is usually unaware of the progress of the disease. Family, friends, and caregivers usually identify the personality and behavioral changes and seek advice and medical attention on behalf of the patient. Many caregivers believe it is best to keep the patient blissfully unaware of their diagnosis, because they cannot do anything to help in their own care. Sharon refers to her mother’s diagnosis as “the saddest experience,” and vividly recalls the drive home from the doctor’s office: “Although Mom had been behaving strangely, we couldn’t define it until we took her to the doctor. On the drive home, I must have been crying. Mom turned to me and said, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I couldn’t tell her, so I just said, ‘Nothing’s wrong.’ And she responded, ‘Then why are you crying?’ I couldn’t tell my mom, the elegant, beautiful woman, that she would endure 10 years of deterioration, 10 speechless years where she wouldn’t recognize her children or grandchildren. I could barely accept it. How could she?” S am had just celebrated his 35 th wedding anniversary with his second wife and was looking forward to travelling the world. His wife, a teacher, would be retiring in June. But Sam’s dream began to fade when he found his wife in the kitchen poring over a cook- book. “What are you doing with that?” he asked her. She was looking for the recipe for pot roast. Impatiently, he reminded her that she had been making pot roast for 35 years, and asked why she now needed the recipe. “I just seem to have forgotten,” she replied, laughing nervously. The next day, Sam found his wife putting the milk in the broom closet and the check book in the refrigerator. He knew this was strange behavior, but chalked it up to stress or “silly forgetfulness.” The following week, though, his wife stood by the front door with her car keys in hand and a look of confusion on her face. “Sam,” she said, “I don’t know how to get to work. I forgot where the school is.” Tearfully she added, “What is wrong with me?” The diagnosis: Alzheimer’s Disease. MOZELLE MIMRAN, LCSW 10 WARNING SIGNS Memory loss 1. Difficulty with familiar tasks 2. Problems with language 3. Disorientation to time or place 4. Poor or decreased judgment 5. Problems with abstract thinking 6. Misplacing things 7. Changes in mood or behavior 8. Changes in personality 9. Loss of initiative 10. Courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Association 66 Community magazine