Interesting Alzheimer's Article

I was forwarded a link to a the New York Times website for an article that they did regarding Alzheimer's called Zen and the Art of Coping with Alzheimer's. It is very concise, and sometimes depressing, but what it talks about the current thinking on the attitude of the adult caregiver. It talks to the technique of being "OK" with seemingly irrational behavior and jumbled conversation. It also speaks to the technique of redirecting an Alzheimer's person when they are following a tangent that could be disagreeable or potentially dangerous.

The depressing piece was about the drug companies and how the Alzheimer's drugs have a very marginal effect on the disease, but desperate families will try anything to slow down the progression of the disease. It also noted, that the current political climate is not showing any commitment to bringing more resources to the Alzheimer's and dementia table. With the aging of the baby boomers and the continued growth in the Alzheimer's population, this is a train that the politicians will not be able to avoid for long.

My father once said that he did not want to outlive his mind after seeing the effect of the Alzheimer's on a close family member. Our bodies are more healthy than any generation of people has ever experienced. How do we keep our minds healthy? There are suggestions, but there is no silver bullet. There is no supplement or drug that can help us avoid Alzheimer's. All we can do as a society, right now, is to love the Alzheimer's people we know, and meet them where they are at- because they have lost the ability to meet us.