In a lead up to these two meetings, the Bucks County Courier Times is running a series of articles highlighting Alzheimer’s Disease and its effects. The first article Early stage Alzheimer’s: Making the connection looks at Alzheimer’s Disease and offers a personal story about how it affects people.

“She was an incredible cook, always whipping up a new creation. Long before it was trendy, Lorraine was a vegetarian. She took vitamins and other dietary supplements decades before it was mainstream.

Marjorie never heard of dementia, and her impression of Alzheimer’s was people who suddenly forgot things and wandered off, she said. That wasn’t her mom.” (more…)

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Bucks County Courier Times running series of articles on Alzheimer’s Disease.

My mother stuck her head into the basement office of the house I shared with my parents in St. Catharines, Ont. “Don’t tell your father,” she said timidly, “but I can’t remember how to use the washing machine.”

So begins an article that is featured in the February 2008 issue of Canadian Living. Written by Peter D. A. Warwick, it’s a very personal and moving story of dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease. You can read the full text at CanadianLiving.com

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Alzheimer’s Disease: One family’s story.

Further interview with Kate…

Part One

Part Two

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Star Trek actress Kate Mulgrew talks about Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Short Film by Michael Sewell: Wheel of Knowing

If I were home, I did stop by the nursing home in the afternoon to share a gift and visit.  The last Christmas, Mother was unresponsive  and others might wonder why I bothered. 

However, I’m so glad now I took the time to sit by her side in a rocking chair, chat about Christmas in days gone by at our family farm, and read to her Christmas cards sent by family and friends.  Mother occasionally smiled but otherwise didn’t respond.

I saw Mother after that, for occasional visits.  However, on January 27, almost a month after Christmas, I was on a business trip and received the call that Mother had passed away quietly in her sleep.

I often think of that last visit on Christmas Day.  Did Mother know I was there?  Did she hear me?  Was she aware of the memories and cards I shared with her?

I don’t know.  But I like to think, that if she was able to have a momentary glimmer of reality, she knew I was sharing Christmas with her.

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen 

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My Last Christmas With Mother in Alzheimer’s Mode

Interested High School students (juniors and seniors) have to write a 1,200 words essay about ‘the impact Alzheimer’s Disease has one their own lives and what they have learned about themselves, their families and/or their community in coping with the disease.’. The application deadline is February 15th and details can be found at the website.

The AFA Teens website is also a great place for teens to visit to learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease and to connect with other teens also dealing with Alzheimer’s in their family.

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Alzheimer’s Foundation Announces First College Scholarship.

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Alzheimer’s Video: Forgetting

             According to recently released research findings, people with less education may be more likely to become afflicted than those with higher degrees of learning.   However, Alzheimer’s appears to accelerate in the  more educated people once they acquire the disease. 

“Higher levels of education delay the onset of dementia, but once it begins, the accelerated memory loss is more repid in people with more education,”  claimed study author, Charles B. Hall, with Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in Bronx, NY. 

Contradictory?

It’s sort of that catch 22...you’re jinxed if you do (have education) and jinxed if you don’t (have higher education).  Everyone can become afflicted according to the scientists.  Some will be more likely to be stricken, yet others, who aren’t stricken so quickly,  are more likely to disappear into the abyss faster.

The Case of Mother and Auntie

I’m not sure if I can determine one way or the other when considering Mother and Auntie.  Mother went through high school and then attended three years at a teacher training school.  Auntie, her older sister, acquired only an eighth grade education at the local one-room school house.  She had the opportunity to go  to high school, boarding with a family friend in the town five miles away (as Mother later did), but she declined.

After childhood, I wasn’t around Auntie very much until she was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and came to live with Mother, who was in the beginning stages of the disease.  Soon after that I became responsible for Auntie’s and Mother’s care decisions. 

Mother’s Alzheimer’s symptoms weren’t very noticeable until after my dad’s death. Then she needed someone responsible for her for about 12 years, first in her home, then mine and finally eight years in a nursing home. 

 Auntie lived with a sister-in-law until Aunt Bess couldn’t cope with the wandering.  Then she resided with Mother for about 18 months until requiring more care.

From my unscientific observations of these two ladies I cared for, I don’t see the correlation between education or lack of education with  their Alzheimer’s experiences.  However, if I knew more specifically what I should be looking for (or remembering about them) perhaps some conclusions could be drawn.   A researcher might be able to give some more sophisticated input. 

Do you have any observations on Alzheimer’s and the amount of education a person has or doesn’t have?

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Education (More & Less) Appears to Affect Alzheimer’s…According to Scientists

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Children talk about Alzheimer’s Disease.

Or if you googled ‘Alzheimer’s blogs’ the you would find over 1,260,000 results.

That’s way to many for anyone to go through in search for information.

So, to make it easier, I thought I’d list some of my favorite ones:

The Mom & Me Journals – an account of one caregiver’s journey in dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease

The Tangled Neuron – information about Alzheimer’s and dementia in easy to read language

Sunshine and Descent - a son’s personal account of his fathers journey into Alzheimer’s disease

Caregiving, Aging, and Alzheimer’s – commentrary, personal experience, articles, resources,and book reviews

950 Miles Away - Alzheimer’s Disease and the long distance caregiver.

It’s easy to learn and understand the dynamics and science of Alzheimer’s disease. But it’s also very important to understand the human element. These blogs let us do that in a very personal way…

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Blogs about Alzheimer’s Disease.