I saw this question over on DxJunction.How do you get family to accept Alzheimers is an illness?How do I get my husband's brother to accept Alzheimer's is an illness. He keeps telling him he should do more reading, walking etc, he calls in to see us every couple of weeks for 5 minutes, doesn't stop for a cup of tea, it is almost like he is embarrassed by the repetitive questions. However now my husband has also been diagnosed with Asbestosis all of a sudden he is ringing all the rest of the family and telling them. He is more concerned with the Asbestosis than the Alzheimers. While I am concerned with both as they are both horrible diseases it is the Alzheimer's that I need the help with. Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email
This dovetails nicely with Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten? and How I Manage My Caregiver Stress.
My answer. The situation you are describing with Alzheimer's and your family is not unusual.
Alzheimer's disease is difficult to understand. In the early stages a person can still communicate and hold discussions. If a person is never around or for 5 minutes at a time, they might never see the crazy behaviors that come with Alzheimer's. If they run away, it often means they are scared. Every single person deals with Alzheimers in a different way. Denial, dysfunction, and fear are common.
For years, one of my mother's best friends could not accept she was suffering from Alzheimer's. Then, one day, my mother started to tell her how she was driving to the store every day and doing all kinds of things. Her friend knew, she had not been driving for years and could not drive. In fact, she could barely walk.
My mother's friend was in a complete state of shock at that moment in time. But, that was the day she finally accepted Alzheimer's.
My advice to you is to control what you can, and accept what you cannot control. In the case of friends and family you need to accept that if they are unable to understand Alzheimer's there is not much that you can do. The day may or may not come when they finally understand or come to the realization of what is happening.
Alzheimer's is a sinister disease. It kills the brain of the sufferer and it will try to drive the caregiver into a state of depression (about 40 percent of Alzheimer's caregivers suffer from depression).
My real advice to you is try to focus on what is important. You will be surrounded by craziness from the sufferer and family and friends. Accept that this is normal. Not unique to your situation.
At the end of the day remember this --You are not alone. There are millions of us trying to deal with this very difficult to understand disease each day. You might feel lonely at times -- but remember --You are not alone. Feel free to ad your comments.
 Bob DeMarco is a citizen journalist, blogger, and Caregiver. In addition to being an experienced writer he taught at the University of Georgia , was an Associate Director and Limited Partner at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and a mentor. Bob currently resides in Delray Beach, FL where he cares for his mother, Dorothy, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. He has written more than 500 articles with more than 11,000 links to his work on the Internet. His content has been syndicated on Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Pluck, Blog Critics, and a growing list of newspaper websites. Bob is actively seeking syndication and writing assignments. |
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How do you get family to accept Alzheimers is an illness?
This dovetails nicely with Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten? and How I Manage My Caregiver Stress.
My answer. Feel free to ad your comments.
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