This post is dedicated to the heroic spouses and caregivers of people with Alzheimer's, who must patiently and lovingly deal with a "clean slate" every day, recreating conditions, retelling stories, and countering paranoia or rage with calm consistency and unwavering love. People like my step-father.
On a recent plane trip, my seat mate was watching a film called "The Savages," which deals with family dynamics after a father is diagnosed with the disease. It was moving, even without sound (I confess that I was watching along silently), and I'll definitely plan to rent the DVD. Click for clips.
Putting some perspective on dynamics, University of Indianapolis researchers found that grief was the most pressing problem affecting loved ones of those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. For more, read on.
Local media briefly surveyed research into Alzheimer's vaccine development here. Cannabis is also being proposed as a treatment.
Those whose parents are afflicted face a much higher chance of developing the disease themselves. (More here), which may cause undue panic in the already severely absent minded.
For anyone who meets that description, this new twist on an old favorite may help...
"Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference."
AMS
