Pre-Writing
Topic: Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease
Question: How does early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease effect their caregivers?
I chose this topic because my whole book Still Alice was based on someone who had early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. In the book it mentions how the caregivers have a hard time dealing with taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. I think that Alzheimer’s Disease is interesting because my grandmother has it, and I know how hard and stressful it is for my grandfather to take care of her all the time.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – - – - – - – - — – - – - – -
Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease: How it can affect you, the caregiver!
How does early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease effect their caregivers? To begin my research on this I had to first find out the actual definition of Alzheimer’s Disease. The Alzheimer’s Association has a good definition: Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia in which it destroys brain cells, causing memory loss and problems with thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life (What is Alzheimer’s). I believe that early-onset Alzheimer’s effects the caregivers in many ways because for one it is very stressful to take care of someone who isn’t considered “old” yet. Not only do people with Alzheimer’s need support groups, but so do the caregivers because they have to go through it with them. In my book Still Alice the doctor says to the husband “You might want to consider getting some support yourself. You’re not the one with the disease, but you’re living it, too, by living with Alice, and it’s hard on the caregivers. I see the toll it takes every day with the family members who come in.” (Genova, Lisa). The overall effects that Alzheimer’s has on caregivers is physical exhaustion and emotional depletion, and caregivers report poorer overall physical health than their peers (Takano, Maki).
Works Cited
Genova, Lisa. Still Alice. New York: Pocket, 2008. Print.
Takano, Maki, and Heii Arai. “Gender difference and caregivers’ burden in early-onset.” Psychogeriatrics 5.3 (2005):
73-77. Print.
“What is Alzheimer’s.” Alzheimer’s Association. Web. 24 Feb. 2010.
<http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp>.
