Tag Archives: world alzheimer’s day

September 21, 2025 · 1:39 pm

Marking World Alzheimer’s Day

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day. This year will mark 14 years since my father’s death from complications of this terrible disease. There has been a great deal of promising research and the development of a few medications that may help slow the progress of the disease in some people, but pinpointing the exact cause of Alzheimer’s and a cure remain elusive.

While I appreciate all of the tireless work of researchers, scientists, and the Alzheimer’s advocacy organizations, I’m not that hopeful that a cure or even an effective treatment will be discovered in my lifetime. More likely, the treatments that are on the market now may be improved upon, delaying disease progression and preserving cognitive functioning for longer. Now that I’m in my 50s, with one copy of the APOE4 gene and the disease prolific on both sides of my family tree, I have to be realistic about my risk and do what I can to reduce that risk and plan financially and logistically for any future care needs.

I would love nothing more than to be proven wrong.

Here are resources from the Alzheimer’s Association to keep you up to date on the latest statistics on how Alzheimer’s impacts the US and recommendations on what we can do to protect brain health.

Image created by Google Gemini.

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September 18, 2023 · 8:00 am

Marking World Alzheimer’s Month

September is World Alzheimer’s Month and this week on Sept. 21 will be World Alzheimer’s Day. This year’s theme is “Never too early, never too late,” with a focus on reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s by educating people on their own risk factors.

Alzheimer’s Disease International has many resources on its website, including a Dementia Fact Sheet.

While modest strides are being made in the development of medications to slow down the disease, it’s key that people understand their risk of developing Alzheimer’s and the steps they can take to reduce their risk.

Looking for ways to support the Alzheimer’s and dementia communities this month? Consider purchasing a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias. It’s on sale at Amazon and includes a story I wrote about my father. Also check out my collection of personal essays, The Reluctant Caregiver, which includes further accounts of the impact dementia had on my family.

If you’d like to support an organization for World Alzheimer’s Month, consider purchasing an item from the AlzAuthors shop.

Image courtesy of Alzheimer’s Disease International.

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September 21, 2012 · 7:13 pm

Why I want to defeat Alzheimer’s disease

Today is Alzheimer’s Action Day. I started The Memories Project back in January as a way to deal with my grief at the loss of my father, who died five days before Christmas 2011. In fact, I was relieved that Dad had finally escaped the evil grip of Alzheimer’s. Because there is no cure or effective treatment for this disease, death is the only way to escape.

Even though Dad was just an average guy, I didn’t want his struggle to go unheard. Since starting this blog, I’ve met (virtually) so many others who are going through similar situations with their loved ones. It is both tragic and inspiring to know there are so many family caregivers out there that sacrifice so much.

The last photo of Dad and I together, July 2011.

We all have so much to share, and blogging is a great way to vent our frustrations, educate others and honor our love for our family members struggling with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

I now find myself being a caregiver for my mother, who is battling colon cancer. Observing the differences between my mom and dad as they struggle with their diseases is enlightening. Even though colon cancer is very serious, Mom, because she still has her mental faculties, has made great strides in recovering. With my dad, Alzheimer’s robbed him of any chance he would have had of recovering from his physical maladies.

I hope that in the near future, Alzheimer’s becomes at least a more manageable disease. I’m an Alzheimer’s advocate not only for the memory of my father, but also with the knowledge that if we don’t make great strides in Alzheimer’s research soon, we will have a major global health crisis to deal with.

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