Alzheimer's Disease

Get Email Updates

Alzheimer's Disease Guide

Alison Beaver Guide

Have a question? We're here to help. Ask the Community.

ASK

Free Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER!

Dear Abby Shares How Alzheimer's Disease Affects A Family (VIDEO)

By Dear Abby December 12, 2008 - 1:00pm
 
Rate This
0 comments View Comments

Dear Abby:

Alzheimer’s disease is like a grenade that strikes out the front door, and the impact goes beyond the front door and it affects everybody in that family to varying degrees. There’s nobody in the family who won’t in some way be impacted by what happens. If you love somebody and you watch the deterioration that this disease causes, you cannot help but be affected and the closer that you are, the more severely impacted, now forgive me for using the word wrong, what I should be saying is that it has an impact on the family, but it’s . . . words fail me.

It’s very difficult. It’s difficult for the spouse; many spouses become caregivers. It’s difficult for the child because if they’re close by they’re going to wind up in the caregiving process too and if they are not, they are frustrated by the fact that they can’t be closer, and there’s always the fear that it runs in the family and you’re going to get it eventually too.

View More Alzheimer's Videos:
http://www.empowher.com/condition/alzheimers-disease

Visit Dear Abby at the Washington Post

 
Rate This
0 comments View Comments

Around the Web

Add a CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!

Image CAPTCHA
By hitting submit, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy

Improved

620 Health

Changed

293 Lives

Saved

210 Lives
4 lives impacted in the last 24 hrs Learn More

Take our Featured Poll

Have you ever had problems with your mental health? What did you do about it? :
View Results