Alzheimers disease is a memory loss that deals with
confusion, depression, restlessness, hallucinations, delusions and
sleeplessness. I have experienced having
a family member that has this disease. My grandfather was diagnosed with
Alzheimers when I was in 5th or 6th grade. He was about 83 years old when the disease
took over his brain. It started with
little things that he started to do, like walking around in his underwear
outside or pulling his curtains down in his bedroom. My grandma was elderly
also so she could not take care of his so my aunts, uncle and my dad alternated
days that he would stay with us. He was then placed in a daycare. He would take
off from the daycare walking and people would pick him up, they eventually had
to put a vest on him that had the name and address of the daycare where he had
to be returned. I remember going with my older brother one time to look for him
around the neighborhood, he was at a factory that was near his house where he
use to work. My grandpa had not worked in many years at that place. When we
picked him up he did not know us. He thought we were just people giving him a
ride. Then later on my dad and his siblings decided to place my grandpa at a nursing
home. Another incident that I remember was with my grandma. It was my parents ,
my sister and my grandma. We were sitting there talking and he asked for my
grandma. My grandma told him “Chelao im right here” but in Spanish. He did not
remember her. Alzheimers destroys your recent or present memories and takes you
back in time. My grandpa couldn’t remember us because we were little and recent
memories, he couldn’t recognize my grandma because she was older and obviously
did not look the way she did when they got married. He then stopped walking,
wearing a diaper and eventually couldn’t use his hands, speak or eat on his own.
He was like a baby. It is hard seeing someone you love not remembering you and
that being the last image you have of them. It was better for my family that he
got it later on in life. I read in the book that when people get it at a later
age have no known relatives with Alzheimers disease. Im hoping that it does not
affect my father. Im so scared of that. He is already 66 years old and luckily
no signs yet!
good post Ellie I can relate to you, my grandmother from my father's side had Alzheimer's, it was really a hard time for all of us, but it was strange because out of everyone my grandmother only remembered my father, but everyone else she couldn't remember. But anyway great video as well. It really explained what the Disease really is extremely well.
ReplyDeletegood job, i personally have never had a member in my family with this disease and hopefully never have to go through it because from what I've and know it not only does it affect the person with it, but the family as well because they cant do anything by themselves as their disease deteriorates. the video was really helpful as well good job :)
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what your family went through during that time. I think Alzheimer's is the thing that scares me the most about getting old. I can't bear the thought of not being, well, me anymore. I'm lucky enough that it doesn't run in my family, but there's always a chance. I hope your family, or anyone else's for that matter, never has to go through something like that again. It seems really scary, and to be honest, I'm not sure if I'd be able to deal with something like that. :/
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