‘Meet your loved one where they are that day’

By Christine Barcia

While many think of fall colors like orange and red in November, others think of teal. This blue-green color with calming characteristics is the chosen color by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America for the nationwide November observance of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Here in New Jersey, support to fight Alzheimer’s is strong.

“Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness about the impact of Alzheimer’s disease in New Jersey,” said Ken Zaentz, president and CEO of Alzheimer’s New Jersey. “Our education programs and outreach focus on the impact of the disease on New Jersey families and on our communities, our healthcare system and our economy.”

The month is also used to “continue helping families challenged by Alzheimer’s get the support they need, including education about Alzheimer’s and important care strategies, access to Alzheimer’s New Jersey programs and services and other community resources,” Zaentz continued.  

Ted Doyle, spokesperson for LCB Senior Living with five locations in New Jersey, said his company partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association on walks, car washes, and even an Oktoberfest in Cherry Hill to raise awareness and funds. Doyle said there is a “growing public awareness” about Alzheimer’s.

“Everyone knows somebody who is touched by it,” he added.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage, and it leads to dementia symptoms that gradually worsen over time, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

There are more than 55 million people world-wide living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia—this number is expected to almost double every 20 years, barring treatment or a cure, said Cole Smith, corporate director of dementia care at Brightview Senior Living.

In the United States, there are currently 6.9 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia—and this number will likely double by 2050. The doubling, Smith said, is largely due to the “silver tsunami” of aging baby boomers. He added that about 1 in 9 people 65 and over have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia in the U.S., and roughly 1 in 2 people 80 and over have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.

“As the numbers of people living with Alzheimer’s grows, the need for increased public awareness and community support has never been greater,” Zaentz said.

“Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, but aging is the biggest risk factor for developing dementia,” Smith explained, noting although there is no cure for this progressive brain disorder, treatments have improved the lives of those with this disease.

“Medication has made great strides in symptom management. We now have medications to slow the decline of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s. People with one or more of these 10 warning signs should see a doctor to find the cause.

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure.
4. Confusion with time or place.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
7. Misplacing things and not being able to retrace steps.
8. Decreased or poor judgment.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
10. Changes in mood or personality.

Many may ask, is there a way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease? According to the Mayo Clinic, more research is needed before experts know specific ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but the following factors will improve overall brain health.

• Avoid smoking.
• Control vascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
• Lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels if they’re high. Do this with treatment recommended by your healthcare professional and lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating a healthy diet.
• Eat a balanced diet — such as the Mediterranean diet — that’s rich in vegetables, fruits and lean protein, particularly protein sources containing omega-3 fatty acids.
• Be physically and socially active, including engaging in aerobic exercise.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Take care of your mental health.
• Use thinking (cognitive) skills, such as memory skills.
• Avoid head injury.
• Treat hearing loss.
• Treat vision loss.
• Limit alcohol consumption.

These steps toward improved brain health are weaved into care of Alzheimer’s patients.

“At Brightview Senior Living we have a program called Bright Minds that supports brain health through social engagement, nutrition, physical exercise and mental exercises,” Smith said. “We use a SPICE model for caring for individuals holistically: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural, and Emotional needs are met through this program.”

For the newly diagnosed person, as well as for family and friends of a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, the journey is difficult. The diagnosis is both “overwhelming and isolating,” said Smith. He further explained that at the time of diagnosis, there is an overwhelming amount of information and decision-making, and the world shrinks around the disease. Smith’s advice for those affected by dementia is “to meet your loved one where they are that day.”

For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association New Jersey chapter, visit https://www.alz.org/nj/events or https://www.alznj.org/.

For more information about Alzheimer’s disease, visit The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at https://alzfdn.org/ or The Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/.