Parent(s) or Loved One with Alzheimer's?

The only thing I can suggest is patience. My Mother-in-law had Alzheimers until she recently passed. I did not have the privelage of knowing her before this horrible disease took over. I know my husband really struggled with it. Also my great-Godmother suffered from this. It really is a terrible disease! I can not imagine living like that, I wouldn't want it. :(

Advices for care and support of those covered by the darkness of dementia, yes that's a great and helpful topic for those in need, those sick and those having their friends or relatives being sick. Well, imagine our small children, they don't speak, but they need a lot our attention, our presence, us to be talkative to them and create an atmosfera of activities. Now imagine you live him alone. The child will soon start to scream, or be terribly active, because is not paid attention to him, and he needs it, even so he would not be able to talk to you, other how than a stroke patient. And the same is happening with the elderly, strok or demented persons, one should continue to love them and talk to them and spend time more than with the adult they were once, rather the same as with a baby or a very small child. They will fell good, they will receive attention and activities, and not fell lonely and scared about their situation. Be sure you will make comfortable the scared and lonely old one, or sick one, because one day you may be in the same situation, and because they are so many in this situation, suffering in their darkness. We should more and more learn how to help and understand them.

I had a greatgrandmother that had this. Nobody else in my family has so far. I think that it such a frightening disease. My sister took a class in school about this and told me that the youngest documented case of Alzheimers is at age 28.

Hi. In UK unfortunately the care of people with all types of dementia is a bit hit and miss. Some people seem to be able to access all the home help they need and their loved ones are able to stay at home. They will get help with practical things (transport,bedclothes, washing etc) and also psychological backing. That is when they join the Alzheimer's society. A lot of people though end up having to put their loved ones in a nursing home. The standard of nursing homes varies from excellent to absolutely diabolical. The good nursing homes will use things such as 'memory therapy' where you have videos of a city or area from a long time ago and get the people to talk about it. Very often seeing images from long ago will suddenly 'shock' them out of not paying much attention to their environment. Personally I have worked with people with Alzheimers in my job, but never had the experience of having to be there 24/7 for someone. I do not know in all honesty that I would be able to handle it (I admit that to my utter shame). One thing that I think you friends need more than anything else would be time-out from the responsibility - either by organising a week or two of 'respite care' or shorter breaks where they can go shopping by having someone 'relative-sit' for them. But it is a devastating condition and the one I would not want for anyone I love or for myself - I think I would rather just die quickly or get cancer than have Alzheimers.