Berger Health | Connections

W ho hasn’t forgotten someone’s birthday or an easy word for something we always use? Hand me that thingamabob, please. And as we get older, some things may slip our minds a little more. Minor memory lapses that happen from time to time are normal as we age. But more serious memory or thinking problems may signal the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease. Talk to your doctor if you (or a loved one) are: Having trouble remembering things recently learned. Losing things a lot (or putting them in strange places) and then not being able to find them. Having trouble holding a conversation—for instance, because you can’t come up with the right words, finish sentences or call objects by their proper name. Having trouble handling money or balancing a checkbook. Making poor decisions, like giving away money to a telemarketer. Repeating questions over and over. Forgetting important dates, events—even the time of year. Taking longer to perform everyday tasks. Being confused about where you are or how you got there. Having mood or personality changes, like being suspicious of other people or feeling depressed. If the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s, starting treatment early may allow you or a loved one to keep up with daily activities for some time. Sources: Alzheimer’s Association; National Institute on Aging —Continued from front page Tom didn’t know what he was doing at first, but he tried his best to be there for Barbara and use every resource he had. He wouldn’t let Barbara be hidden from the world and continued to take her out to dinner three times a week and visit with friends from her Bridge group. The thing he needed most throughout this process was support. “This whole disease is about denial. Denying you or [your partner] has it,” Tom says. He knows of people close to him who would refuse to address the disease. He agrees that it can be hard to admit, but doesn’t know what he would have done if he had to keep that secret. Now Tom is a part of Berger’s Alzheimer’s Support Group that meets the second Tuesday of each month. Even after he lost Barbara, he found it comforting to be able to help other community members through one of the most difficult parts of his life. “I get a lot out of just being there,” he says. A lot of caregivers are worried about the cost of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. “People don’t realize how much is available to them. There are things offered for free or even discounted here in Circleville,” Tom says. All of these resources are discussed in the Alzheimer’s Support Group to make it easier for the caregiver as well as for the person living with this disease. Everything they do in this group is a discussion among peers and is focused on caregiver support. Tom continues, “The biggest benefit is to be able to reach out to others” who are experiencing the same difficulties and hardships. To attend an Alzheimer’s support group meeting, call 740-420-8404 . Is it Alzheimer’s disease? Minor memory lapses that happen from time to time are normal as we age. 2 Berger Health System • Summer 2018 Join us for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s Tom and Barbara Bevan

Berger Health | Connections | Spring 2018