by Ted Lindsay
12. January 2010 04:37
It is currently accepted that over 5,500,000 in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer's. Along with this, there are another 20,000,000 people with significant memory impairment.
Frightfully, there is another group, a parallel population that at a minimum equals these statistics. They are the families and family caregivers of the Alzheimer's sufferer.
The communal suffering grows as the progression of the disease continues. The impaired starts out forgetting small, short term memory things. This grows into larger events in both the short and long term memory. As a mechanism to deal with the embarrassment related to this, the impaired makes up and learns to precisely recite little cover-up responses to hide their disease with which they, themselves are becoming acutely aware. Along with this, they start losing the ability to process simple information and solve simple problems. These cognitive skills diminish at the same time while the memory, both short and long term disappear.
Here stands the family, witnessing their loved one becoming more distant as this horrific disease continues it's inevitable march. The family and it's "chosen" primary caregiver for the impaired know a few of the basics of care for the memory impaired. They attempt to keep them as socially engaged as possible. They know too that brain exercises and other cognitive skill activity helps in slowing the disease's progression. Staying in touch on the phone along with sending notes and sending emails will maintain further engagement. Sadly though, computers and even telephones can intimidate the impaired. But , all of these activities offer a huge help.
BUT, WHO HAS THE TIME?
I say with my tongue in cheek, I guess the primary caregiver is the only person that has the time in their daily life to assist and provide care for an Alzheimer's sufferer. This lack of time and corresponding offering of care to the impaired is a huge source of guilt that is worn by family members. Besides the primary caregiver who is "committed" to caring, most of the rest of the family wants to help, wishes they could help, and would like to help. BUT you see they just don't know exactly what to do AND they just can't fit it into their busy day. The sad result is that this guilt drives them farther away from the sufferer who is already lonely, frustrated, and isolated.
Far reaching is an understatement for the tragic effect that Alzheimer's has on a family.
MemoryMate was designed as a family product to deal with caring for family members suffering from varying degrees of memory impairment. It's about family helping family. The system provides an extremely simplified medium through which loving care can be provided with little time or effort expended. It fits our schedules while offering great care for the impaired and help for the caregiver.
We as a community need to pitch in and care for those suffering with Alzheimer's. We as a community need to conquer it with research for a cure and with loving care for the effected family. How far reaching could this be?