Stan and Denise

In class this week the topic of Alzheimer's Disease came up. The discussion took me back to my past experience working at a SNF and the people I encountered on the Alzheimer's Unit. I don't think you can get a real understanding or perception of how this disease affects people unless you have either a relative/friend with the disease or have worked with the people. Of all the people living in the SNF, I remember most of the Alzheimer's clients the most. Something special stands out for me and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Maybe it's the smiles of these people. There are so many different kinds of smiles. I see now that the smiles can be a from habit of normal social interactions, pure happiness, or just a simple reaction. The loss in their eyes is unforgettable. Sometimes I can remember having conversations with them that felt so real and special only to find out from family members that the stories were made up or false. The family members also touch my heart. I can only imagine how one might feel to witness their mother or father turn into a completely different person, slowly losing their brain and memories. I found this very interesting video on-line. Please take the time watch it. It is brief and tells the story of Denise and Stan. Denise takes care of her husband Stan who is in the late stages of Alzheimer's. She says some things that really stands out for me. For example, she says well we are lucky because Stan in pretty healthy right now. You can see from the video that Stan in not mobile, he has lost his ability to speak, and all his food must be in liquid form, yet she says they are "lucky". She also mentions that almost over night he lost his ability to speak and walk after a fall. He basically forgot how to walk. I never thought about how it might be if these things seem to happen over night. You can see her love for her husband, but I can't help wonder how hard this must be on her, the wife. The husband is blessed in a way because he no longer has a memory. He is not really aware of what is happening, or is there somewhere in his soul or heart that understand what is happening. I can only pray the answer is no. I feel stronger than ever to help support finding a cure to Alzheimer's Disease. Hope you all enjoy the video.