The First Year

Bob DeMarco writes on “Decision Resource’s” finding that approximately 70% of Alzheimer patients did not receive treatment within the first year of being diagnosed. Denial is cited as the predominate reason for this neglect to act, on the children’s and physician’s part's. Often, early signs are ignored.

      In the beginning, I decided to move into my mother's condominium and keep her in her own home. I did this because I concluded after reading some of the literature that moving her into a new environment would be too difficult and disconcerting for her. As a result, I ended up living in an over 55 community with a large fraction of the residence 75 years or older. When it comes to Alzheimer's and dementia I have received an eye opening education.

      One by one I have watched friends and acquaintances of my mother fall into dementia. More often than not their children do little or nothing as the disease starts to progress. The children often watch the parent deteriorate until there is no alternative to full time care. I watched as one person had one automobile accident, then a second before their children concluded there was something wrong. I watched another go from mild dementia to full blown Alzheimer's almost overnight because nothing was being done by the family, or the personal care physician.
I suggested to them that they get some memory testing, and/or a neurological or geriatric consult. They didn't listen.

      In the future I will start adding this, I hope you don't regret your decision not to move on this. (I'll say this to myself, I hope I am wrong and it doesn't get worse -- much worse -- then you could ever imagine).
It is only after you become a caregiver that you begin to understand the importance of early diagnosis. Believe it or not, as hard as caring for someone with Alzheimer's can be, it is likely to be much worse if you stick your head in the sand.

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