The Stress that Comes with Caring for Alzheimer's

It’s no secret that aging comes with its own unique set of struggles. This later period of life is often accompanied by physical and mental ailments, such as limited mobility and difficulties with memory.  Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of aging is the range of cognitive difficulties that the elderly face. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are two examples of these life altering cognitive conditions.

Though often grouped together, it’s important to note that dementia and Alzheimer’s are not the same thing. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of cognitive deficiencies, such as memory. Sometimes people can even have more than one type of dementia. While dementia is a syndrome, Alzheimer’s is an officially classified disease. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, meaning it gets worse over time, and impacts memory and cognitive function. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s place it under the dementia syndrome umbrella. While there are some clues as to risk factors for dementia, there is no known cause of Alzheimer’s and no known cure.

That makes it even harder for the more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s. Though there is no known cause of the disease, it is known that it is associated with old age. As medical advancements continue and the average lifespan increases, that means that cases of Alzheimer’s will increase as well. It’s estimated that by 2050, Alzheimer’s and dementia will cost the country 1.1 trillion dollars in healthcare costs. And, perhaps even more important is the emotional impact the disease has. Alzheimer’s doesn’t just affect the people who unfortunately develop the condition. The condition can have a huge impact on the lives of that person’s loved ones, especially those who end up being caretakers for the person with Alzheimer’s. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 35% of caregivers for someone with Alzheimer’s says that their own health has suffered due to their responsibilities. The burden of Alzheimer’s extends far beyond just the person living with the condition.

Reagan’s Story

The story of President Ronald Reagan’s descent into Alzheimer’s is all too familiar for the millions of people who have watched a loved one go down a similar path. While “Reagan had always been a little forgetful of names,” he began to forget things more often and would become disoriented or forget where he was. By the time he was officially diagnosed, he and his wife had a feeling of what was coming. President Reagan famously disclosed his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in a letter to the American people in 1994. The years that followed were extremely difficult, as Reagan began to lose his cognitive abilities and was forced to discontinue his normal life. Not only was Reagan’s life altered, but so was that of his wife Nancy. Like so many caretakers, Nancy put her life on hold and made caring for her husband her sole focus during those final years.

President Reagan lived for ten years following his diagnosis, though his condition became progressively worse, as is the norm with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative illnesses. Nancy became increasingly cut off from friends and refrained from activities. Towards the end of the President’s life, his wife said that she, “never wanted to be more than five minutes away from the house.”