As of Tuesday, September 18, 2012
© Copyright 2013
Gwinnett Daily Post
It seems a lot of causes have a particular month marked to raise awareness. Sometimes people pay attention, and sometimes it gets lost in the daily shuffle. September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month, and we all need to pay attention to this epidemic. After all, one in three families in the U.S. are affected by Alzheimer's.
I work side by side with a lot of families living with Alzheimer's and dementia in Autumn Leaves memory care communities. I see the challenges they face, the pain they feel, and the victories they celebrate. Yet, the essence of who they are remains intact. Their ability to have a conversation is altered, but their warmth and true spirit still shines through.
The longer I work with these families, the more I see the importance of watching for warning signs and accessing care as soon as possible. The Alzheimer's Association provides a list of warning signs that includes memory loss that disrupts life, challenges in solving problems, confusion with time or place, and trouble understanding spatial relationships.
I would encourage everyone to support this cause by wearing purple this month, to let families know you care.
Holly Tenner, Suwanee
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Comments
kevin 8 months ago
This is important, but so is the "other" letter to the editor in today's paper:don't forget Constitution week. The article was so right on. And yes, an American worries about the Constitution, something Obama could care less about since he isn't a true American. He wants to re-write it on his own without using the Congress. I hope that those that voted for him and are still going to vote for him suffer the same fate.
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