Early Onset Alzheimer’s – a Great Concern

The first time I saw Marilyn in the activity room of the nursing home where Mother was an Alzheimer’s patient, I thought she was a visitor.  Short graying hair, energetic movements, and a ready smile characterized her.

Then on my next visit to see Mother, I again saw Marilyn.  When I saw her a third time, I began to wonder if she was more than a frequent visitor. 

“She lives here,” a nurse said.  “Marilyn has early onset dementia.”

That was when I realized someone in their early 60s could become so stricken with Alzheimer’s she was living in this unit of the nursing home.  At a caregivers’ group sharing time, we learned from Marilyn’s husband that she was 55 when her symptoms became apparent.  He had tried to care for her at home, but this had become increasingly difficult for him.

Her husband visited her almost daily, took her for walks and drives, had meals with her even when it seemed she no longer reconized him.  Marilyn passed away when in her mid-60s, while my mom lived to be 92 years old.

Early onset dementia or Alzheimer’s has become of increasing concern in recent years.  Perhaps it’s always been here, but we didn’t want to realize it existed.  Researchers continue to try to find treatments that will slow down this disease so people with early onset or later onset will have more useful years of life.