World Alzheimer's Day

Ordinarily when I write on grandma's cookie jar, I write posts to encourage and put a smile on your face. Today is World Alzheimer's Day; this post is to educate.

Consider this fact about Alzheimer's - since 2000 deaths by heart disease have decreased by 20% while death by Alzheimer's has increased by 89% . . . yes, 89%. Few of us have lives which have not been touched by Alzheimer's - my own dear parents are dealing with it as my dad has this disease.

On this day I want to encourage you to check out the latest facts and figures about Alzheimer's at this link and encourage you with the following. As I mentioned above, my own dear dad has Alzheimer's. He asks the same questions, repeatedly. My parents were at our birthday party for my now nine year old grandson - my dad asked Josiah - repeatedly - how old he was. Each time Josiah calmly, politely and with great patience answered as if it were the first and only time his great-grandpa asked how old he was. When I thanked him later for being so patient and kind to his great-grandpa he said; "Great-grandpa has Alzheimer's. He doesn't know he already asked how old I am."

It is likely all of us will have our lives impacted by Alzheimer's - if we have not already. I for one also, "envision a future in which Alzheimer's disease is placed in the same category as other chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, which is readily identified with biomarkers and treated before irrevocable disability occurs."