Author’s Biography
My name is Brynn, I am twenty years old and currently in my first semester of college at Lonestar. I am getting my associate of science. I enjoy writing, science and history. I am interested in the medical field. I strive to be a Labor and Delivery nurse. I want to be in this field because I can impact lives and help people in need. Particularly, I want to be a Labor and Delivery nurse because I think it is a beautiful thing to be apart of a new life coming into the world. I also plan on getting a Certification in nurse aid to get some experience in the field I want to be in and get a feel on what it is like to be in that field. I am a teacher assistant at a daycare and enjoy being with the young children from infants to the two-year old’s. I can empathize with families who have lost a family member due to Alzheimer’s disease because my granny died not too long ago from this disease. I am an advocate for Alzheimer disease for that reason. In this presentation, I explain what I went through being in this situation and other families can relate to me on this topic.
“Free Image on Pixabay – User, Avatar, Female, Blond, Girl.” Sea Bottom Photocomposition · Free Image on Pixabay, pixabay.com/en/user-avatar-female-blond-girl-310807/.
Geralt. “puzzles”pixabay, Jan.10, 2015, https://pixabay.com/en/dementia-alzheimer-s-age-puzzle-595638/fffff
Youngson, Nick. “Alzheimer’s”. The Blue DiamondGallery, December 2015, http://www.thebluediamondgallery.com/highlighted/a/alzheimers.htmlfffffffff
Script
Have you ever been in a situation where your sick family member forgets your name? It’s not a good feeling, speaking from experience. Not many people talk about the struggles these families face. Alzheimer’s drains your family emotionally and financially. It is not an easy thing to go through by yourself. You need your family to help you out because not everyone has their family to lean on. Some may recommend to go to family therapy to help them get through a difficult time and to realize you’re not alone. There are many resources out there to be aware of in order to get you and your family through this unfortunate time. However, many are overlooked. It can really hurt you to see your family member struggle after knowing they have lived a life without this disease yet, now this is their new “normal”.
Facts:
- One in 10 people age 65 and older (10 percent) has Alzheimer’s dementia.
- Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women.
- Older African-Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older whites.
- Hispanics are about one and one-half times as likely to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias as older whites.
- Among people age 70, 61 percent of those with Alzheimer’s are expected to die before the age of 80 compared with 30 percent of people without Alzheimer’s — a rate twice as high.
“Facts and Figures.” Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Association, http://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures.
Geralt, “ticking time”, Pixabay, Nov. 1, 2012, https://pixabay.com/en/alzheimer-s-dementia-woman-old-age-63610/
Brynn Brewer
Dr. Smith
ENGL 1301
October 13, 2018
Alzheimer’s affects on Families
People tend to look past the importance of understanding Alzheimer’s effects on families. This may be important to many who are going through a rough time with their families and their Alzheimer family member. Alzheimer patients are affecting families financially and emotionally.
Have you ever witnessed the pain of your ill family member forgetting who you are? “When a family member is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, the effect on your entire family can be overwhelming” (Mayo Clinic 1). These families go through traumatic stress in order to be by their sick family member’s side at all costs, even if it hurts them. Alzheimer’s is currently the 6th leading cause of death in the United States today. This is a stressing number to some individuals going through this with their families. Currently there is no cure for it, only treatments. “After pondering the issue of Alzheimer therapeutics,my strong suspicion is that AD is an incurable disorder, not because it is hard to find a cure for it but because a cure is not physiologically probable” (Dela Torre 79). You have memory issues and your behavior of everyday is affected. Some days are better than others, but it tends to worsen throughout the time ofhaving this horrible disease. Alzheimer’s usually effects older people.
In addition, Families cannot afford to provide 24-hour adequate care for the suffering family member. As thedisease progresses, the patient not only loses their memory, he also losescontact with friends and family. “You might join a support group for dementia caregivers.” (Mayo Clinic 1)
Moreover, there are financial issues when it comes to Alzheimer care. These families must give a striking amount of costs and healthcare costs as well. Deaths from Alzheimer’s are increasing as the years to come. “By 2050, the total cost of care is estimated to be more than 1.1 trillion” (Sauer 1). This causes a tremendous stress if Alzheimer’s is not detected early. They become overwhelmed and consumed by numbers, when they are just trying to take care of their ill family member in need. It would help many to be diagnosed early to decrease the amount they will be paying rather than diagnosing later. “The report states that an early diagnosis could save the U.S. as much as $7.9 trillion over the lifetime of all living Americans”(Sauer 1). Meaning that there will be less treatment early on so, that they are not paying more later when there are double the amount of treatments. Financial problems in general tend to stress people out but having this burden can be even more distressing. These effects are permanent because Alzheimer’s is not yet curable, but it is treatable. The family can go to therapy or support groups to soothe the obstacles.
In my experience, having a family member with this suffering disease can be emotionally draining and take a huge toll on your mental well-being. Having to watch them forget what day it is, orwhat your name is can be a very saddening sight to witness. You don’t get to see them like you are used to seeing them. It is like they are a whole other person. You never know when their last day is. They are like a ticking timebomb and you cannot cut any wires to make it stop. You also don’t get to visitthem all the time with certain facilities. Not only do you have all the stressof financial responsibilities but, it is a constant worry about your ill family member. You worry when they have an episode. Some may not know how to react. I remember I specific time when I had walked in the room seeing my grannyconfused and frantic because she didn’t know who anyone was or where she was.Can you imagine waking up one day, and not knowing where you are? Not knowing who anyone is? That sounds so scary and sad all in one. Putting yourself intheir shoes can really hurt but, it is the reality they are living. You become overwhelmed even seeing your other family members in pain. You are not alone though. Many families experience these obstacles just as I have.
As a result, Alzheimer patients are affecting families economically and fervidly. Witnessing your ill family member forget who you are, can be tremendously distressing. You may want to seek counseling or making a new routine that is suitable for everyone from the jumpstart because, it is hard to adjust. It may be something brand new for many to discover and process. Give yourself time and don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Communicating is always an important role to apply during these tenacious times so, speaking your mind can really help all around. There are also many resources around to help and get through obstacles your family and the Alzheimer patient may need in order to get all you can in line. Alzheimer’s has a huge economical effect on each family. From not having to pay for these expenses to treatment payments, facility payments and more. In the United States today, Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death. That is a high up number to be the 6th. This number may scare people and make them want to be diagnosed early in order to save you and the United States a lot of money.
Works Cited
“How Dementias Financial Costs Take a Toll on Families.” Alzheimers.net, 2 Aug. 2018, http://www.alzheimers.net/5-09-16-dementia-financial-costs-take-toll-on-families/.
Association, Alzheimer’s. “New Alzheimer’s Association Report Reveals Sharp Increases in Alzheimer’s Prevalence, Deaths and Cost of Care.” PR Newswire: Press Release Distribution, Targeting, Monitoring and Marketing, 20 Mar. 2018, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-alzheimers-association-report-reveals-sharp-increases-in-alzheimers-prevalence-deaths-and-cost-of-care-300616178.html.
“How Alzheimers Disease Affects Family Dynamics.” Lions Gate, lionsgateccrc.org/how-alzheimers-disease-affects-family-dynamics/.
“Alzheimer’s: Dealing with Family Conflict.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 6 Oct. 2018, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/caregivers/in-depth/alzheimers/art-20047365.
“Alzheimer’s Disease.” Alzheimer Society of Canada, alzheimer.ca/en/Home/About-dementia/Alzheimers-disease.
Social Issues 