Alzheimer’s disease and women

Saleema is exhausted. Not only does she have to take care of her husband and her children, she also has to take care of her elderly mother. In the past six months her mother has progressively lost her memory and now has a tendency to wander away from home. Saleema and the other family members have to be constantly vigilant that she does not go out into the street because she has no idea of how to find her way back. Saleema’s mother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer's disease is the devastating loss of intellectual and social abilities, severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. It is due to a progressive degeneration of healthy brain tissue, leading to a steady decline in memory and mental capability. The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases with age. About half the people above the age of 85 and two third of people over the age of 90 suffer from it. Women are more likely than men to develop it.

Alzheimer's may start with slight memory loss and confusion, but it eventually leads to irreversible mental impairment that wipes out a person's ability to remember, reason, learn and imagine.

What happens in Alzheimer’s disease?

Increasing and persistent forgetfulness is the hallmark of this condition. People with Alzheimer's may repeat actions and conversations.  They may sometimes seem to live in a different era of their life. There can be moments of lucidity but most often they cannot remember what they did even a few hours or minutes ago. They routinely misplace things. They may remember very close family members but in the late stages, may tragically be unable to recognize even their dearest ones.

People with Alzheimer's often get disoriented. They lose all sense of direction and may find themselves lost in familiar surroundings. They find it difficult to carry out even familiar tasks. They may ultimately be unable to take even the most basic care of themselves.

Alzheimer’s changes the personality to such an extent that even a normally calm person may become aggressive, restless or anxious. This is the most heartrending aspect of this disease: a person who loved us and rejoiced in our company becomes a stranger who looks at us with distrust and fear.

Alzheimer’s disease is doubly painful- it devastates both the cared for and the care giver. Those with Alzheimer's, and more so those who care for them, need support and love from friends and family to cope with the exhausting job of dealing with the disease.