MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PEOPLE IN FLORIDA LIVE WITH
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ELDER AFFAIRS, THAT'S ROUGHLY
12 PERCENT OF SENIORS STATEWIDE.
TO KICK OFF ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS MONTH, MULTIMEDIA
JOURNALIST JAMIL DONITH SHOWS US HOW ONE FAMILY IN BROWARD COUNTY
HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS SEVERE FORM OF DEMENTIA.
THIS IS DENISE BENNETT'S DAILY ROUTINE.
EVERY MORNING BEFORE THE SUNRISES SHE WAKES UP HER
MOTHER.
GET UP.
DRESSES HER.
MAKES HER BREAKFAST.
GIVES HER MEDICATION.
THAT'S GOOD.
AND EVEN PUTS ON HER MAKE-UP.
LINDA!
HER MOTHER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER'S SEVEN YEARS AGO.
WE NOTICED STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE SHE WAS NOT EATING RICE.
SHE WAS WEARING KIND OF LIKE THE SAME CLOTHES.
SHE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE DISEASE.
SHE JUST THOUGHT HER MOTHER WAS OLDER AND NEEDED EXTRA HELP.
SHE HAD NO IDEA HER MOTHER WAS SLOWLY BEING ROOBD OF HER
MEMORY.
SHE WAS A VERY STRONG AND INDEPENDENT WOMAN, YOU KNOW, SHE
RAISED THREE CHILDREN.
AND THEN SEEING HER NOW SO FRAGILE, IT IS LIKE DEPENDENT,
IT BREAKS MY HEART.
TWO YEARS AGO LATER, THE TO SHE HAD TO MOVE HER MOTHER FROM
COMPUTER I ARE TOE TO HER APARTMENT.
ONCE A CHILD, SHE IS NOW PLAYING THE ROLE OF CAREGIVER.
YES SHE IS YOUR MOM BUT NOT YOUR MOM.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE.
THE I AM GLAD I AM ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF HER BECAUSE SHE WAS
SO GOOD TO US.
AND SHE DESERVES THE BEST.
SHE SAYS HER MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW WHO SHE IS MOST OF THE
TIME.
74-YEAR-OLD NEEDS CONSTANT SUPERVISION.
SHE CAN'T COMPLETE SENTENCES AND FORGETS SIMPLE TASKS IF NOT
PROMPTED.
ONE THING SHE DOESN'T FORGET ABOUT ARE HER DOLLS.
THEY KEEP HER OCCUPIED, WHICH IS A HUGE HELP.
IT IS LIKE A -- YOU CAN'T LEAVE IT ALONE.
SHE HAD TO HIRE A CAREGIVER.
AND HER MOTHER GETS PICKED UP EVERY DAY TO GO TO ADULT
DAY-CARE SO SHE CAN WORK.
BYE, MOM.
ALL THE WAY SHE IS ALSO FIGHTING TO FIND A CURE.
I STARTED HEARING FROM MY MOM.
FOR THREE YEARS SHE PARTICIPATED IN THE WALK TO END
ALZHEIMER'S IN BROWARD COUNTY, THE EVENT OLD HER EYES TO HOW
WIDESPREAD THIS DISEASE IS.
IT WAS GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
EVERYBODY IS GOING THROUGH THIS STUFF, DEALING WITH THIS
TERRIBLE DISEASE.
SHE KNOWS A CURE IS NOT LIKELY FOR HER MOTHER BUT SHE IS
HAS LEARNED TO CHERISH EVERY MINUTE.
UH-HUH. AND TAKE LIFE ONE DAY AT A
TIME.
EVEN IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
SO JUST LOVE THEM, CARE FOR THEM, SPEND TIME WITH THEM
BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE.
JAMIL DONITH "YOUR SOUTH FLORIDA".
AND NOW TO SHARE MORE ON THIS YEAR'S WALK TO END ALZHEIMER'S
DISEASE AND THE LATEST RESEARCH AND TREATMENT IS DR.
MARC AGRONIN, VICE PRESIDENT FOR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND CLINICAL RESEARCH AND MIAMI JEWISH HEALTH
AND CAREGIVER PATRICIA YZAGUIRRE-GARCIA, COCHAIR OF
THIS YEAR'S WALK AND VOLUNTEER WITH THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA CHAPTER.
THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING WITH US HERE TODAY, I REALLY
APPRECIATE IT.
HEARTBREAKING ISN'T IT TO WATCH THAT VIDEO AND TO SEE WHAT
GOES ON IN SOME FAMILY'S LIVES, BUT YOU ARE BOTH NOTING YOUR
HEAD AND I THINK DR.
YOU SEE THIS ALL THE TIERNLINGS RIGHT?
SURE, IT IS HEARTBREAKING BUT WE SEE IN THIS CASE THERE IS A
LOVING CAREGIVER WHICH REALLY MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE AND
KEEPING HER MOTHER INVOLVED IN LIFE AND THAT IS SO IMPORTANT
FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT.
IN DOING MY RESEARCH TO THIS, I READ THAT ALZHEIMER'S IS THE
SIXTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES HERE IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA.
I THINK THAT IS ALARMING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I WAS STUNNED BY IT.
SO WHAT IS GOING ON?
WHY THIS HIGH RATE OF PEOPLE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER'S
AND OVER FIVE AND A HALF MILLION AMERICANS LIVING WITH THE
DISEASE?
IT IS ASTRONOMICAL.
IT REALLY IS ALARMING IT IS IN EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS RIGHT
NOW, THE MAIN RISK FACTOR IS AGE, AS PEOPLE ARE LIVING
HEALTHIER LONGER LIVES, THE DOWN SIDE IS WE ARE SEEING MORE DAYS
OF DEMENTIA, A BRAIN DISEASE THAT AFFECTS MEMORY AND OTHER
COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS, ALLEGATION DISEASE IS THE MOST COMMON FORM
OF DE TEN I CAN'T, ROUGHLY 70 PERCENT POSSESS ALL CASES BUT
MANY TIMES OF DEMENTIA AND OTHER CAUSES WHICH REALLY ARGUES FOR
THE IMPORTANCE OF A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION .. SO
DO WE KNOW YET WHAT CAUSE THIS IS?
I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF CLINICAL RESEARCH GOING ON, BUT
-- SURE.
WELL THE PREVAILING BELIEF IS THAT THERE ARE TWO FOX FIGURE
PROTEINS THAT BUILD UP IN THE BRAIN, NOT MONTHS OR YEARS BUT
PROBABLY DECADES BEFORE PEOPLE PRESENT WITH SYMPTOMS, AND SO
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS GET AT THESE PROTEINS, ONCE CAUSE
BETA AMYLOID AND ONE CALLED TAO AND FIND WAYS TO KEEP THEM FROM
BUILDING UP AND DOING SOMETHING TO STOP THE DAMAGE THEY CAUSE IN
THE BRAIN.
YOU HAVE -- YOUR GRANDMOTHER HAS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT .. ABOUT HER AND HOWEVER SHE BECAME --
SHE GOT DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER'S, WHAT WAS GOING TO
WITH HER IN YOUR LIVES THAT YOU ALL WENT, HMM, MANAGER IS NOT
RIGHT?
SO MY GRANDMOTHER WAS FIERCELY INDEPENDENT AND SHE WAS
VERY ACTIVE.
SHE TRAVELED A LOT AND WE NOTICED THAT HER DAY TO DAY
PATTERN WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, SHE WAS A LITTLE MORE
LETHARGIC AND A LOT MORE FORGETFUL, FOR MANY YEARS WE
JUST ATTRIBUTED TO IT TO OLD FERGUS AGE [SE 93 NOW AND SHE
WAS DIAGNOSED IN HER EIGHTIES, SO WE JUST ATTRIBUTED IT TO AGE
BUT THEY THEN SHE WOULD FORGET SIMPLE THINGS LIKE TO EAT .. OR
HER PATTERN WAS JUST OFF, AND SO MY MOM IS ONE OF FIVE BROTHERS
AND SISTERS AND THEY ALL GOT TOGETHER AND IT IS LIKE SHE IS
NOT REALLY ACTING VERY NORMAL, THEY TOOK HER TO HAVE AN
EVALUATION, AND SHE HAD A PSYCHOTIC EPISODE THAT THEY
CALLED IT, PER SE, WHERE SHE WAS IN A MANIC STATE, SO SHE HAD TO
BECOME HOSPITALIZED.
THEY DISCOVERED SHE HAD A UTI, WHICH IN WOMEN TENDS TO MAKE THE
DISEASE A LITTLE BIT STRONGER, THE SYMPTOMS COME OUT AND A
LITTLE MORE VIOLENT, A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND SO SHE WAS
MEDICATED FOR THAT AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY DIAGNOSED WITH
ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA, AND MY MOM AND HER BROTHERS ALL BANDED
TOGETHER AND PROBABLY MADE ONE OF TOUGH TEST, TOUGHEST
DECISIONS THEY HAD TO MA MAKE AS CHILDREN AND SIBLINGS IS THAT MY
GRANDMOTHER, THAT HER QUALITY OF LIFE SHOULD NOT SUFFER, AND
BECAUSE OF THAT THEY FOUND A CASE THEY WERE ALL HAPPY WITH
AND SHE HAS BEEN LIVING THERE FOR A FEW YEARS, AND SO SHE IS
NOW AT A PLACE WHERE HER QUALITY OF LIFE MAY NOT BE WHAT IT USED
TO BE.
YES.
BUT SHE IS WELL-TAKEN CARRY, CARE OF AND MEDICATED AND DOING
OKAY.
THAT IS SO HARD ON THE FAMILY AND THE CAREGIVERS, WE SAW IN
THAT PIECE THE WOMAN, DENISE, SHE TEARS UP BECAUSE YOUR
RELATIVE IS NO LONGER THE SAME PERSON YOU USED TO KNOW AND THAT
HAS TO BE ONE TO THE HARDEST PIECES IS THERE IS SO MUCH
MENTALLY THE FAMILY IS DEALING WITH TOO.
THE DOCTOR, TALK ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS.
WHAT, YOU KNOW, THEY NOTICED PATRICIA'S FAMILY NOTICED
SOMETHING WASN'T QUITE RIGHT WITH GRANDMA, WHAT DO YOU DO
NEXT YOU JUST DON'T JUMP OUT AND SAY ALZHEIMER'S, RIGHT?
WHAT IS THE STARTING POINT?
THAT'S TRUE, IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO JUMP THE GUN HERE AND
REALIZE THERE MAY BE CAUSES AND REVERSIBLE FACTORS, SO I ALWAYS
TELL PEOPLE THE MOMENT YOU BEGIN SUSPECTING SOME CHANGES GO TO
SEE A REGULAR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN BECAUSE THEY CAN
REVIEW MEDICATIONS AND DO A BASIC MEDICAL EVALUATION TO SEE
IF THERE ARE ANY OBVIOUS FACTORS AND REVERSIBLE FACTORS.
ONCE YOU GET TO THAT POINT, IF NOTHING IS IDENTIFIED IT IS
REALLY CRITICAL TO GO TO A MEMORY CENTER, A GERIATIC
PSYCHIATRIST OR NEUROLOGIST WHO SPECIALIZES IN WORKING WITH
DIFFERENT FORMS OF DEMENTIA BECAUSE THEY CAN DO ALL OF THE
RIGHT TESTS, THEY CAN DO BRAIN SCANS, NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL
TESTING TO REALLY SEE WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE OF
CHANGES.
ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT STEPS IS SO IMPORTANT.
THE AVERAGE PERSON GOES MAYBE TWO YEARS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY
GET A DIAGNOSIS AND PART OF THE PROBLEMS THAT MEANS IT IS A
TWO-YEAR DELAY IN TERMS OF GETTING.
THE CARE THAT THEY NEED.
TALK ABOUT THE CLINICAL TRIALS AND I KNOW NIH PUT A LOT
OF MONEY TOWARDS RESEARCH NOW INTO ALZHEIMER'S, SO TALK ABOUT
THAT AND THERE ARE A LOT OF TRIALS GOING ON IN SOUTH FLORIDA
TOO, RIGHT?
YES, IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO GET INDIVIDUALS
INVOLVED IN CLINICAL TRIALS TO TRY TO FIND A CURE FOR
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
AND THE TRIALS ARE TRYING TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE IN THE VERY
EARLY STAGES OF THIS BECAUSE THE FEELING IS THAT'S WHEN WE CAN DO
THE MOST GOOD, WE CAN INTERVENE AS STRONGLY AS POSSIBLE.
SURE.
LOTS OF DIFFERENT SITES ARE DOING STUDIES, EITHER FEDERALLY
FUNDED OR FUNDED BY PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.
THERE IS NO COST TO BE A PART OF THE
STUDY AND YOU HAVE ALL THE RIGHTS YOU WOULD RETAIN AS
SOMEONE IF YOU WERE A SUBJECT IN THE TRIAL BUT THIS IS THE ONLY
WAY WE ARE GOING TO FIND SOME EFFECTIVE TREATMENT AND
EVENTUALLY A CURE FOR THIS DISEASE.
I NO 3 IS SOMETHING CALLED TRIAL MATCH AND WHAT YOU ARE
REALLY LOOKING FOR IS A SPECTRUM OF ALL FOLKS, PEOPLE WITH
HEALTHY BRAINS AND THOSE WHO MAY HAVE HAVE A HISTORY IN THEIR
FAMILY AND EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE.
ABSOLUTELY, IT CAN BE ACCESSED THERE 2 ALZHEIMER'S
WEBSITE SWAY GREAT PLACE TO START TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO
MATCH SOMEONE UP WITH THE RIGHT TRIAL AND OFTEN A LOT OF THE
SITES THAT DO TRIALS LIKE THE MEMORY STERN I RUN TREAT PEOPLE
IN GENERAL SO IF THEY DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THE TRIAL OR DON'T
QUALIFY FOR THE TRIAL WE CAN STILL HELP THEM.
TALK ABOUT THE ALZHEIMER'S SECRETS.
THEY DO GREAT WORK.
FILL US IN ON WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE ORGANIZATION.
SO THE ORGANIZATION RAISES FUNDS BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE A LOT
OF SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS.
OFTEN TIME WHEN TREATED PROPERLY, ALZHEIMER'S, THE
PATIENT WILL OUTLIVE THE CAREGIVER, BECAUSE THE STRESS ON
THE CAREGIVER IS SO MUCH.
THEY NEED SUPPORT, AND THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION WILL
ALSO OFFER SUPPORT NOT OR FOR THE PATIENTS BUT ALSO FOR THE
CAREGIVERS.
THEY HAVE A 1-800-272-3900, AND WE WILL PUT THAT ON THE WEBSITE
TOO.
YES.
THEY ARE OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, PEOPLE THAT ANSWER THE PHONE ARE
CLINICIANS AND SPEAK OVER 200 LANGUAGES, AND THEY ARE THERE TO
GIVE CAREGIVERS ALL TYPES OF SUPPORT AT ANY LEVEL IN WHETHER
THEY ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DISEASE OR TOWARD THE END.
SO THEY ARE A GREAT RESOURCE.
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST FUND RAISERS FOR THE ASSOCIATION IS THE WALK-
TO TEND ALZHEIMER'S.
THE MIAMI-DADE WALK WILL TAKE PLACE ON NOVEMBER 3RD, THAT'S A
SATURDAY AND IT IS AT MUSEUM PARK DOWNTOWN AND IT IS A GREAT
EVENT.
IT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY WE HAVE A KID ZONE AND HAVE FOOD AND
DRINKS AND HAVE MUSIC, IT IS A VERY FUN AND ACTIVE THING
PARTICIPANT IN AND WHEN YOU ANTICIPATE IN THE EVENT THE
ASSOCIATION HANDS OUT WHAT THEY CALL FLOWERS AND SO THESE
FLOWERS REPRESENT THE YELLOW FLOWERS ARE FOR CURRENT
CAREGIVERS, ORANGE IS FOR SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS THE
ASSOCIATION, PURPLE IS FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS PASS FROM THE
DISEASE AND THE WHITE FLOWER REPRESENTS THE FIRST PERSON THAT
WILL -- AND PART OF THE WALK IS THERE IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL
PORTION CALLED THE GUARDIAN CEREMONY, AND SO EVERY
PARTICIPANT WILL GO AND -- IT GIVES ME GOOSE BUMPS BECAUSE
WHEN YOU STAND UP AND YOU SEE ALL OF THE FLOWERS AND YOU SEE
EVERYBODY THAT IS AFFECTED BY THIS DISEASE, EITHER DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY, IT IS TREMENDOUS.
DR.
BEFORE WE GO, ANYTHING THAT PEOPLE WATCHING CAN DO TO
TRY TO HELP KEEP THEMSELVES HEALTHY?
ANYTHING WE DO, WE CAN DO DO STAVE OFF ALZHEIMER'S.
MODERATE PHYSICAL EXERCISE WERE WHICH CAN BE WALKING,
SWIMMING DOING SOMETHING YOU ENJOY, KEEPING YOURSELF SOCIALLY
AND MENTALLY ACTIVE AND ONE DIET IS CALLED THE MIND DIET WHICH IS
ESSENTIALLY LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, NOT A LOT OF
UNHEALTHY FATS, REALLY EASY AND ACCESSIBLE FOR HE EVERYONE.
WE SHOULD BE DOING ALL THE TIME RIGHT, THE EATING HEALTHY.
IT IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN AND HEART AND BODY.
THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE
IT.
THANK YOU THANK YOU AND FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTER WE
WILL HAVE A LINK ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE @YOURSOUTHFL SO YOU CAN
PARTICIPATE IN THE ALZHEIMER'S WALK AND AS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
IMPACTED YOU OR YOUR LOVED ONES WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM
YOU, YOU REACH US BY E-MAIL OR POST A VIDEO OR COMMENT ABOUT
THIS OR ANY TOPIC WE DISCUSS ON OUR SHOW TODAY BY GOING TO OUR
FACEBOOK PAGE @YOURSOUTHFL, WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING
FROM YOU.