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Dealing with Alzheimer's

The Davis Enterprise By Sarah Slakey/Enterprise correspondent LOVING CARE: Hugh Watson of Woodland visits his wife Edith, who has Alzheimer's disease, on Tuesday at St. John's Retirement Village in Woodland. The couple has participated in Alzheimer's research projects conducted by the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center. Greg Rihl/Enterprise photo WOODLAND - Ten years ago, Hugh Watson noticed that his wife Edith was changing, and not for the better. This once-brilliant mind - she was at the top of her class as an undergraduate, and holds a master's and Ph.D. in theoretical physics - was having trouble performing simple day-to-day tasks. "Several times she said to me, 'If I read a sentence (in a book) and then go on to the next sentence, I can't remember what the first sentence said,' " recalled Watson in a letter to his family physician. "Much of each day is spent looking for things which she has misplaced: her glasses, her wallet, a sweater, shoes. ... Often she forgets what she was looking for." Such is the unfortunate, but all-too-familiar scene in one out of every 10 families in America who are living with Alzheimer's disease. First described by German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain that results in dementia. Symptoms of dementia include abnormal forgetfulness, problems with reasoning or judgment, loss of language skills and difficulty performing everyday activities. If a person shows signs of dementia it does not, however, necessarily mean that the person has Alzheimer's disease. Several disorders can cause dementia, including depression, thyroid complications, sexually transmitted diseases and lack of blood to the brain. These forms of dementia are controllable and in most cases treatable. However, Alzheimer's disease remains untreatable. In most cases, death is the likely end for a patient with Alzheimer's disease, eight to 20 years after diagnosis. Because of the similarity of symptoms between Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, it is important that people who have concern about a loved one seek medical help, doctors say. "Learning about the disease is a huge challenge. It is amazing how often people are reluctant to seek help," said Dawn Myers Purkey, program services coordinator at the Yolo Adult Day Health Center. "They may be trying to protect their loved one because of embarrassing behavior or they are not sure how other people are going to react. "People need to seek information early on, to start understanding the disease right away." Watson did seek medical help from his family physician, who in turn sought the opinion of specialists in dementia and Alzheimer's. Watson said his family doctor did not believe the initial diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. It was only after a second diagnosis a year later did the doctor finally believe. Watson, however, was not surprised to see the test results. "I knew something was wrong. I knew it was probably Alzheimer's disease," he said. "Looking back, I now see that she started showing signs of the disease back in 1988," more than five years before she was diagnosed. A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be a devastating blow not to only the patient, but to their entire family. "The whole family is involved in caring for this disease," said Purkey, who has been helping families afflicted with the disease for seven years. "The disease is very challenging because it changes. Just as a caregiver may get a handle on a loved one's condition, the patient changes and the disease progresses to the next stage. It is continually tail-spinning. It is very emotionally draining." The disease is not only emotionally taxing on families, but also financially. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than seven out of 10 Alzheimer's patients live at home, 75 percent of whom are cared for by family members or friends. Another 25 percent have in-home nurses or caregivers, which cost the family an average of $12,500 a year. Those who are not cared for in their home go to a nursing home. The average cost for a nursing home is $42,000 a year, but has been known to exceed $70,000 per year in some areas of the country. All of these expenses are almost exclusively paid by family members. Despite the immense tragedy of the disease, there is still hope. Organizations such as UC Davis' Alzheimer's Disease Center give families a through examination and diagnosis. More importantly, however, the center gives families information and resources, and allows them participate in research that may shed light on this disease that is expected to afflict 14 million people by 2040. In addition to being a wealth of information and research, the Alzheimer's Association organizes support groups for caregivers in Winters, Woodland and the greater Sacramento area. At the Yolo Adult Day Health Center, attendees can take advantage of an array of services for both patient and caregiver. Caregivers can bring their loved ones here for a few hours a day to catch up on errands or simply take some much needed rest and relaxation. Other such local care facilities include Memory House, 2917 Temple Drive in Davis, and St. John's Retirement Village, 135 Woodland Ave. in Woodland. Stories similar to the Watson's and additional information on Alzheimer's disease will be featured in a documentary presentation tonight on KVIE, Channel 6. A local segment, titled "Caring & Coping: Living with Alzheimer's," airs at 9:30 p.m., following a national documentary at 8 p.m. "Caring & Coping" offers information on local support organizations and features stories of people in the Central Valley who are fighting Alzheimer's. Pat McConahay, producer and host of the half-hour segment, has a special connection to the story. Her mother has been afflicted with Alzheimer's disease for more than eight years. "It was a gift to work on something near and dear to my heart," McConahay said. "I felt employed to help the cause, to make people aware, because so often when dealing with this disease you feel helpless. There is not much you can do as your loved one slips away." The local segment follows a nationwide special titled "The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's". It is based on David Shenk's best-selling book. The evening closes with "Facing Alzheimer's: An African American Perspective," at 10 p.m. Wednesday, January 21, 2004

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