You're Nuts -- A Clarification

Sanely Maniacal recently wrote about his experiences as a carer to his Mother who is beginning to suffer from Alzheimer's. Ok, I know the sister and her family and I can tell you that it has had a profound effect on them and on their relationships. I know that this disease has pulled them closer together and that the next profit for BT will be because of the telephone bills they have run up discussing what to do next. It seems a shame, but ever is the way, that it is a tragedy that pulls families back together. At least they are together again.

Sanely tosses some terms around that I thought would be best if they were defined. As Dumbledore said in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, "Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself" (pg. 216) In the case of Alzheimer's, fear abounds because we, as humanity et al, don't understand the disease. Therefore, what is "Vascular Dementia" and should we be frightened?

Wikipedia provides an understandable basic definition:

Multi-infarct dementia, also known as vascular dementia, is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer disease (AD) in the elderly (persons over 65 years of age). The term refers to a group of syndromes caused by different mechanisms all resulting in vascular lesions in the brain. Early detection and accurate diagnosis are important, as vascular dementia is at least partially preventable.

The main subtypes of this disease described at the moment are: vascular mild cognitive impairment, multi-infarct dementia, vascular dementia due to a strategic single infarct (affecting the thalamus, the anterior cerebral artery, the parietal lobes or the cingulate gyrus), vascular dementia due to hemorrhagic lesions, small vessel disease (which includes vascular dementia due to lacunar lesions and Binswanger's disease), and mixed Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.

There are links here which will take you to the land of medical-ese, but will provide the reader with lots of information. The most important statement is that this "at least partially preventable", or in my friend's case, treatable.

Sanely's Mum also has the problem of denial or, at the very least, not being able to remember that she has this disease. A good source of information about what to do can be found through at www.alzheimers.org.uk/ where there are further links as well. Getting the elderly to take their medication is often very difficult and, having met Sanely's Mum (who should be included in ANY definition of stubborn), I can see he has his hand's full. Even so, a support group for him or any other member of his family could provide the mental release they will need should the disease progress to a debilitating level. I am sure there are similar organisations in the US. I do think training, in any event, is necessary in order clear the mist from what is "normal" and what is "The Disease".

As humanity all grows statically older due to better nutrition, education and housing, more and more of the population will be struck with this disease. It is important that is be understood and prepared for properly in the manner we have used for illnesses such as cancer rather than continue to act in a fearful, superstitious way only later suppling information and pity on the families of those affected.