The Alzheimer’s Association of America has reported 2010 figures of 5.3 million Americans having Alzheimer’s disease (the most common type of dementia), Alzheimer’s disease to have been the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and the annual cost to have been $172 billion, with 10.9 million unpaid caregivers caring for family members or loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
While there may be only one family member diagnosed with the illness, entire families and diagnosed individuals endure tremendous stress and emotional pain as all observe the disease ravaging the affected individual.
The National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners has designated Feb. 13-20 as Alzheimer’s and Dementia Staff Educational Week.
In preparation for staff presentations during this week, our staff has discovered “An Alzheimer’s Disease Bill of Rights” outlined in “The Best Friend’s Approach to Alzheimer’s Care,” by V. Bell and D. Troxel. We’d like to share this with others in hopes it will preserve quality of life for diagnosed individuals and/or reassure caregivers they are providing their loved one(s) with the best care possible.
