Tag: dementia

Today, 5.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. By 2050 the number is projected to grow to nearly 14 million. Bracing against the disease while standing alongside those diagnosed are family and friends wrapped in an intricate web of perplexing emotion.

Dementia plays out in stages. I think about the arc of my mother’s life as college sorority sister, to wife, mother and career, through my father’s passing, followed by her 18-year dementia journey and, ultimately, her death.

Our recent news cycle has teemed with reports from the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC18), an annual gathering of scientists and researchers from around the globe sharing their latest findings. I follow this news closely because of selfish worry I may develop dementia following the loss of both parents to this devastating brain disease.

My middle-aged siblings and I are children of dementia.

Studies, articles and blogs today give caregivers advice on balancing responsibility and managing stress. Whether you can hold a demanding job(s) or advance a career as a primary caregiver remains the dilemma. Nearly 44 million Americans (most working part or full time) provide regular, unpaid care for an older adult. And 10 million millennials (that’s 1 in 4!) have already joined the ranks of elder caregiving. Remember... elder doesn’t necessarily mean old, early onset Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed as early as 40.