We often hear of public figures who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Sargent Shriver, father of Maria Shriver and former head of the Peace Corps, drew some media attention to the horrors of this terrible illness as did singer Glen Campbell who recently entered long-term nursing care. Pat Summitt, women's basketball coach at Tennessee, resigned from her duties as did Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen. Readers and fans are saddened, but the quiet slipping away allows the disease to silently spread.
I understand the soundless exit and appreciate the wish for privacy, but I anticipate the day when someone, especially a person with widespread recognition and influence will stand up and shout (or mumble or stumble through a loss in the flow of words) "I have Alzheimer's disease and it stinks!" It is time to drag the lurking beast out of the shadows and expose its essence: a debilitating, life-robbing, soul-wrenching, insidious monster with no cure, no medication to reverse it, no prevention, and often no hope. Until we address the issue with full force, anger, and fear, Alzheimer's will remain a primary, worldwide killer as it stealthily envelops each victim and family.
No one I know wants their loved one exposed to prying eyes and cruel whispers. I can't imagine Mama floundering around a restaurant with soiled pants while diners mock her nor can I envision my sister Carole with hair on end, shoes on the wrong feet, and blank stares emitting from her empty eyes shuffling into a movie theater where the sounds and sights frighten and ignite her into loud fits. What I would like is an infomercial with a person with Alzheimer's sharing personal insight from early onset and diagnosis, through the last plausible moments of filming. I'd like to hear a daughter's statement about losing her "daddy" day by day while she attends junior high (and worries) and her mom works three jobs or a son who shares how he has left his career, upended his family, and stepped up to assist his deeply confused grandma.
I'd like the public to know the anguish, pain, terror, and dread that overwhelm caregivers as well as the one being cared for. I want to learn how these folks have adjusted homes to make them safer and more convenient, created meals that are more nutritious and desirable, and fashioned lives to make them more livable. I'd like to understand more to be better equipped to assist those in need. I recognize that each interaction will kindle sorrow and bring tears to my eyes and tears to my heart, but tough knowledge is powerful.
The Nevada Task Force is developing plans for better access to services through online information channels on the Nevada website and more education opportunities for medical personnel, caregivers, and the overall public. Interactive medical services are available in Winnemucca through a collaborative effort of Humboldt General Hospital and Renown. A trip to Reno with a bewildered and fuming loved one can be replaced with an office visit and interactive connection here with specialists elsewhere. While nothing replaces the human, personal interaction with our doctors, medical advancements can make life easier and we all benefit. What we really need is a Tom Hanks who exposed the bigotries of AIDS in the movie Philadelphia and the defiantly strong voice of Michael J. Fox about Parkinson's. Television and cinema, where are you? There is a critical need.
For your knowledge, the July-August issue of AARP contained an article on antipsychotic prescription abuse in the elderly, particularly those with Alzheimer's or other dementias, in nursing homes. One drug administered for sleeplessness and anxiety may interact with another causing confusion and agitation. A third drug for calming may lead to a fourth prescription that causes lethargy and disconnect. The author, Jan Goodwin whose mother was in early state Alzheimer's, states," My mother went into _____ for physical therapy [following a broken pelvis]. Instead she was drugged up to make her submissive. I believe my mother died because profit and greed were more important than people."
While this overdose situation happen under many living conditions, you as the caregiver or family member must carefully analyze medications, their usefulness, and possible negative interactions and side effects. The Sanford Center for Aging at UNR continues to offer community outreach through its website to evaluate drugs being ingested and the possible dangers. Always be wary as drugs can harm as well as help.
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