It’s difficult to truly understand the pain of Alzheimer’s and dementia until you witness a loved one going through it.
My great-grandfather began showing signs of dementia when I was around 11 years old. Since the great-grandchildren were among the last people he met, we were also among the first ones he forgot. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than watching someone you love forget who you are. He would look at me, and I could sense that I seemed familiar to him, but he no longer knew why.
Each year, he remembered less and became increasingly uncomfortable at family gatherings until he stopped attending altogether. He passed away when I was 16, but by then, it had been a while since I had seen him. Looking back, I realize I don’t have any memories of him before his symptoms began. I remember sensing that he loved me, yet I can’t recall any specific memories that demonstrated it.
While Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are often considered the same, they are not identical. Dementia is a group of symptoms that signify a decline in cognitive, behavioral, and functional abilities. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia, characterized by the progressive damage to brain cells, which leads to the symptoms commonly associated with dementia.
Some early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia include:
Memory loss
Challenges in problem-solving
Difficulty with familiar tasks
Confusion with times and places
Vision changes
Conversational issues
Misplacing items & issues with retracing steps
Changes in judgement
Withdrawal from social situations
Mood and personality changes
This disease is painful for everyone involved. Whether it’s witnessing a loved one forget who you are, watching them forget family members, or realizing how terrifying it must be for someone who no longer recognizes anyone and forgets how to perform everyday tasks they’ve done their entire life.
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. While some treatments may alleviate symptoms, their effects are only temporary. To learn more about symptoms, treatments, and research, visit https://www.alz.org/.
