In Maine, over 30,000 people are affected by Alzheimer’s disease, which destroys brain cells. This results in memory loss, problems with reasoning and judgment, disorientation, loss of language skills and a decline in the ability to perform routine tasks.
Quite a few years ago, I noticed that one of my relatives was becoming a little absent minded or forgetful. Sometimes when I stopped to visit, it was as though he didn’t recognize me, but once I told him who I was, he’d get right into a conversation. Many times, he thought I was my mother. This was a little disconcerting, but my mother and older relatives passed it off as old age.
This behavior continued, and I began to notice that his house was not being kept up and the usually extremely neat housekeeping was also being neglected. He was a bachelor and had retired from a long-time professional job. One day, however, it was clear that his condition was more than old age. When I asked him if he had some cold water – it was a really hot day and I needed a drink – he said to go to the refrigerator. I opened the door expecting to see a jug of ice water and the refrigerator was filled with food which had spoiled, and boxes of papers of all kinds filled the shelves.
Through intervention of some reluctant family members, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At that time, there were only a handful of care facilities in Maine and everyone considered it good luck that one of them had room for him. He stayed in that care facility for many years before passing away.
As we grow older, many fear Alzheimer’s and the reason for this, I think, is that we know so little about it. Most of us don’t know the warning signs nor how to prevent it. Routine forgetfulness can bring on an immediate – usually incorrect – conclusion that we are getting Alzheimer’s.
The Maine Chapter of the National Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-660-2871 provides 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week Helpline providing information, support and consultation on everything from care-giving to behavior management. There are over 50 community-based support groups throughout Maine.
Memory Walk 2005 will be held in 15 Maine locations on Saturday, October 1. This is a fund-raiser to support services and programs for families affected by this terrible disease. The goal is to raise $315,000. People and their pets are welcome to participate including businesses and organizations. Walkers are asked to find contributing sponsors to support their walk and premiums can be earned.
For more information on how to participate, contact Jane Mullen at (207) 772-0115 or jane.mullen@alz.org.
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