November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
[Updated 2023]
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan designated November as National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. A form of dementia, Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that targets areas of the brain that control thought, memory and language. It is a particularly cruel disease, terrifying for its victims and deeply traumatic for their loved ones.
At the time of the president's proclamation, fewer than 2 million Americans were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Today, that number has climbed to nearly 6.5 million. Poignantly, Ronald Reagan himself would receive such a diagnosis in 1994.
At Overture Home Care, we participate in Alzheimer’s awareness and fundraising events not just in November, but throughout the year. Each year we support Longest Day events in June, and many of our team members have taken part in the Fort Worth Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Our commitment extends into our daily work as well. Since 2018, we have been a Dementia Live® authorized organization and we are dedicated to providing empathic and enriching care for our clients with cognitive impairments, including those with Alzheimer’s disease. Although the root cause of this terrible disease has not been fully determined and there is no current cure, there are supportive therapies, interventions and directed activities that can make life with Alzheimer's easier for patients and more bearable for their families.
If you would like to know more about the warning signs of Alzheimer's and the symptoms typical of each stage of the disease, please download the Alzheimer's Awareness PDF document linked below. Please also visit the Alzheimer's Association web page for more resources, including guides on how to hold difficult conversations with loved ones and their doctors, a set of supportive online forums (ALZConnected®) and a virtual library featuring peer-reviewed research material on every aspect of the disease.
Then please call us to see what the compassionate caregivers at Overture Home Care can do to help. We are available 24/7 for a free consultation: (817) 887-9401.
LINKS:
National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month: What Caregivers Should Know
Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/
Alzheimer’s Association: Time to Talk https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-and-dementia/timetotalk
ALZConnected® Online Forums https://www.alzconnected.org/
Alzheimer’s Association: Virtual Library https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/virtual_library