The Forgetting

Alzheimer's disease touches nearly every American family, wiping away vast stores of personal memories and human connections. It is a reality 20 million Americans live with today and a prospect the rest of us must prepare for—for our loved ones and ourselves.

The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's, was featured during the 18th annual State Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. The film aims to help Americans better understand and cope with the fearsome disease of Alzheimer's. The cornerstone of the evening is the 90-minute national documentary, based on David Shenk's extraordinary best-selling book on Alzheimer's, The Forgetting: Alzheimer's: Portrait of an Epidemic. Like Shenk's book, the documentary will be a dramatic, compassionate, all-encompassing look at Alzheimer's — weaving together the history and biology of the disease, the intense real-world experiences of Alzheimer's patients and caregivers, and the race to find a cure.

For more information on the conference, contact the Alzheimer's Association at www.alzwi.org.

Book list
recommended by South Central Library System

Bahr, Mary; illustrated by David Cunningham. The Memory Box. IL: A. Whitman, 1992.
When a grandfather realizes he has Alzheimer's disease, he starts a memory box with his grandson, to keep memories of all the times they have shared. Grades 2-6.

Davies, Helen D. and Michael P. Jensen. Alzheimer: the answers you need. Elder Books, 1998.
Written for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's and their caretakers.

Davis, Robert. My journey into Alzheimer's disease: a story of hope. Tyndale House, 1989.
A former pastor chronicles his personal spiritual and emotional journey as he experiences memory loss and confusion from Alzheimer's disease.

Frank, Julia. Alzheimer's Disease: The Silent Epidemic. Lerner, 1999.
Explains the progressive brain disorder Alzheimer's disease, gives case histories of victims, and describes the problems faced by their families.

Gruetzner, Howard. Alzheimer's: A Caregiver's Guide and Sourcebook. New York: Wiley, 2001.
The author, a nationally recognized authority, details the latest developments in treatment and care options and offers helpful, hopeful advice for getting through difficult challenges. Now fully revised and updated, this edition includes new chapters designed to help caregivers cope with stress and depression and offers information on the latest breakthrough research developments and treatments.

Kuhn, Daniel. Alzheimer's Early Stages: First Steps for Families, Friends and Caregivers. Hunter House, 2003.
This edition includes the latest information on Alzheimer's risk factors, treatments, and prevention, as well as a new chapter, "Voices of Experience, " composed of reflections by family members.

Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
To help you know what warning signs to look for, the Alzheimer's Association has developed a checklist of common symptoms (some of them also may apply to other dementia-causing illnesses). Review the list and check the symptoms that concern you. If you notice several symptoms, the individual with the symptoms should see a physician for a complete examination.

Memory loss that affects job skills
It's normal to occasionally forget assignments, colleagues' names, or a business associate's telephone number and remember them later. Those with a dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, may forget things more often, and not remember them later.

Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Busy people can be so distracted from time to time that they may leave the carrots on the stove and only remember to serve them at the end of the meal. People with Alzheimer's disease could prepare a meal and not only forget to serve it, but also forget they made it.

Problems with language
Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but a person with Alzheimer's disease may forget simple words or substitute inappropriate words, making his or her sentence incomprehensible.

Disorientation of time and place
It's normal to forget the day of the week or your destination for a moment. But people with Alzheimer's disease can become lost on their own street, not knowing where they are, how they got there, or how to get back home.

Poor or decreased judgment
People can become so immersed in an activity that they temporarily forget the child they're watching. People with Alzheimer's disease could forget entirely the child under their care. They may also dress inappropriately, wearing several shirts or blouses.

Problems with abstract thinking
Balancing a checkbook may be disconcerting when the task is more complicated than usual. Someone with Alzheimer's disease could forget completely what the numbers are and what needs to be done with them.

Misplacing things
Anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or keys. A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in inappropriate places: an iron in the freezer, or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.

Changes in mood or behavior
Everyone becomes sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer's disease can exhibit rapid mood swings — from calm to tears to anger — for no apparent reason.

Changes in personality
People's personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can change drastically, becoming extremely confused, suspicious, or fearful.

Loss of initiative
It's normal to tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations, but most people regain their initiative. The person with Alzheimer's disease may become very passive and require cues and prompting to become involved.