{"id":7005,"date":"2011-09-21T03:00:33","date_gmt":"2011-09-21T09:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=7005"},"modified":"2016-05-27T17:15:42","modified_gmt":"2016-05-27T23:15:42","slug":"world-alzheimers-day-from-kilimanjaro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2011\/09\/21\/world-alzheimers-day-from-kilimanjaro\/","title":{"rendered":"World Alzheimer’s Day from Kilimanjaro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>As I leave our climb of Kilimanjaro, I wanted to send this special message today, World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21st.<\/p>\n

November is national Alzheimer\u2019s month for an urgent reason: Alzheimer\u2019s is growing faster than we are making progress on a cure. When I first started the 7 Summits Climb for Alzheimer’s in December 2010, every 70 seconds a new case was diagnosed in the United States; today it is every 69 seconds.<\/p>\n

The cost of caring for an individual in a facility has also grown dramatically from the $5,000 a month required for my mother a few years ago to $9000 a month according to one case. My summit of the highest peak in Antarctica was dedicated to those with early onset Alzheimer’s.<\/p>\n

And for those caring for their loved one at home? It is now documented that over half the caregivers suffer from lack of sleep, guilt and increased depression. I dedicated my summit of the highest peak in South America to family caregivers.<\/p>\n

But it is not hopeless. Major advances have been made in understanding Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer\u2019s Genome Project <\/a>has identified four genes that are associated with the disease and that will help researchers on their quest to finding root causes. And multiple al trials<\/a> are underway all towards finding methods of reliable early detection, improved ments and a cure. Researchers received the dedication from the summit of Mt. Elbrus in Russia.<\/p>\n

Recently President Obama signed into law the National Alzheimer\u2019s Project Act <\/a>(NAPA). This act would require the department of Health and Human Services to create a strategic plan for the federal government\u2019s role in fighting Alzheimer\u2019s disease, form an advisory council, and coordinate research, care, institutional services, and home- and community-based programs. This will put Alzheimer\u2019s on a similar path taken by the Government for AIDS and cancer.<\/p>\n

As important as research is, increased awareness and understanding of Alzheimer\u2019s is of equal importance. Knowing the signs that a person is showing early signs can help make the transition easier for everyone involved. The Alzheimer\u2019s Association <\/a>notes these difference between Alzheimer’s and typical age-related changes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Signs of Alzheimer’s<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0Typical age-related changes\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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    \n
  • \u00a0Poor judgment and decision making<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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    \n
  • \u00a0Making a bad decision once in a while<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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    \n
  • \u00a0Inability to manage a budget<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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    \n
  • \u00a0Missing a monthly payment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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    \n
  • Losing track of the date or the season<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n
    \n
  • \u00a0Forgetting which day it is and remembering later<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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    \n
  • \u00a0Difficulty having a conversation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
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    \n
  • \u00a0Sometimes forgetting which word to use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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    \n
  • \u00a0Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n