People who engage in intellectual activities such as reading, playing games, completing crossword puzzles, playing musical instruments show a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease. “So, we all have four grandparents”, said Julie Tutwiler of the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Indiana Chapter.
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More than 5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. “But even then, more awareness is required because many times the immediate care-givers, the family, has no understanding about the ailment or are ill-informed”, said Swati Shah, a Kolkata-based neurologist. One of the downsides about the recent films about Alzheimer’s sufferers is that they focus on wealthy, partnered people whose loving spouses can draw on nearly limitless funds to the ease the situation.
The organisation estimates the average annual cost per person with dementia at €40,500. Unfortunately, most of us who get Alzheimer’s, or another form of dementia, will not end living like Julianne Moore’s character in Still Alice – demented but in comfortable surroundings.
Symptoms include memory loss, confused thinking and speech and difficulty problem solving.
TV agony aunt Denise Robertson said she has been filled with optimism that a dementia cure can be found after formally opening an “uplifting” charity fundraising event. It is hard enough losing someone you love once, let alone twice (which seems to be the case for families affected by dementia).
The group says their mission is to raise awareness and promote brain health. They were walking in memory of Keith and Karen’s mother, Maisie Villhauer, who had Alzheimer’s and passed away.
While there is no “prevention” as such, one can keep the disease at bay as much as possible with certain changes in lifestyle.
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“My husband Steve was diagnosed with early on set Alzheimer’s which means before the age of 65, he was diagnosed and that was right at the height of his career, we had a son in high school”, Kollstedt said. It calls for action for governments, policy-makers and civil society members, from all parts of the world, to work together to improve care and support services, treatment and research into dementia.
