Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
An old buddy of mine from high school posted on Facebook today that his father just passed away after battling Alzheimer's. This guy is 27, so I'm assuming his dad was probably under 60, and very likely under 70. It appears that the man got Alzheimer's early and went to an early demise.
Have you seriously considered life and retirement with Alzheimer's or some other cognitive impairment?
Yes, this can happen early on. My wife has a friend who is 66. She just retired a few years ago, and she was already suffering some cognitive impairment in her early 60's. How she continued to work, I don't know. She's already at the point she can't drive. For whatever reason, she was told she doesn't have much more than a few years. Her official diagnosis is Parkinson's. Parkinson's is more physical but mental functioning is seriously affected also. Dementia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or whatever; It all amounts to brain dysfunction and continuing deterioration.
An old buddy of mine from high school posted on Facebook today that his father just passed away after battling Alzheimer's. This guy is 27, so I'm assuming his dad was probably under 60, and very likely under 70. It appears that the man got Alzheimer's early and went to an early demise.
Have you seriously considered life and retirement with Alzheimer's or some other cognitive impairment?
Yes I have. I've never had the sharpest mind around numbers and short-term memory. I wonder what I'd do (if I could even act) with a full-blown case of dementia. DH and kids tell me they'd look after me, but I think not. They're being simplistic. Because people do die from Alzheimer's, I also wonder what patient rights are and how they are enforced (i.e., if one has advanced directives).
Seriously, I have accepted that unless I die first, I will end up demented. The genes are there, in addition to other risk factors. I have an advance directive and some LTC insurance, although I hope I never have to use the LTC insurance.
Is there anything in particular you'd like to know?
Yes i have..My grandmother died of Alzheimer's and my mom is in the early stages of dementia...my father just had cancer
surgery and so on..
So yes, it makes one think of their own mortality..I dread the years coming as watching my grandmother suffer for almost 6 years with Alzheimer's (with the last couple totally bedridden) and father's mother suffering the same fate..
I look at my parents and think soon they may be both in the same state..my mother coming first..
I only hope and pray that some advances are made in modern medicine to help with these nasty afflictions..It's not easy to watch, and no matter what the experts say...do we really know how much the one afflicted suffers?? I think they do terribly..
I fear these things, but fear more watching my parents decline and coping with it..
So the science is fairly convincing...regular exercise, preferably vigorous, may protect against dementia. Anyone who claims to be fearful of Alzheimers or dementia who is NOT exercising regularly is not thinking clearly.
So the science is fairly convincing...regular exercise, preferably vigorous, may protect against dementia. Anyone who claims to be fearful of Alzheimers or dementia who is NOT exercising regularly is not thinking clearly.
Or maybe not. Based on my observations and just about everything I've read - there are genetic factors that play significant roles in terms of whether or not one winds up with any of these diseases. E.g., Alzheimer's: Is it in your genes? - Mayo Clinic. Robyn
My husband has dementia...started at 60. He has always exercised, kept his weight down, worked many complicated engineering problems, social, played golf, restricted meat, etc. We would work Mensa puzzles each morning before our exercise routine. Nothing kept the dementia from coming. Genetics probably was the major factor....his father went to a similar decline in mental health at age 65. My husband is happy because "he forgets he forgets." Everything is "in the moment."
I have several relatives that have had "senioritis" My MIL in the nursing home doesn't even know my wife anymore. My own personal theory is that stress is a major factor, that is people who are constantly insecure, fearful, and worry a lot. This causes over-activity in the adrenal gland, raises the blood pressure, constricts the small blood vessels in the brain which ends up doing damage to brain. My guess is that this is something that begins in adulthood, and by the time you hit your senior years, the damage is already done. The reason for my theory is that I've read some studies that indicated no link to genetics. In fact, we have a member in our church who has a twin sister that died many years ago with similar symtoms to alzheimers, but this member is still fine and in her late 70's.
If we live a long time, we should figure there's a good chance it will happen to us to some degree. I've read that 1/2 of all people who live to 85 have some dementia/Alzheimer's.
I have one aunt and one uncle on my father's side who had advanced Alzheimers before they died. Another aunt on my mother's side, who recently passed away, and now my mother has it. All with the exception of one were very physically active until the disease took over. I believe genetics is the key factor. However, I do recall one of them having a lot of stress (very long-term illness of spouse), but otherwise seemed confident and secure from my observations.
Last edited by smpliving; 05-07-2014 at 11:30 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
