Massachusetts First Lady Diane Patrick to Participate in Greater Boston Memory Walk® on Sunday, September 27Th
WATERTOWN, Mass.-(Business Wire)-September 23, 2009 - The Alzheimer’s Association is pleased to announce that the First Lady of Massachusetts, Diane Patrick will be participating in the Greater Boston Memory Walk on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
“I am walking because my daughter, Katherine, asked me to walk,” Mrs. Patrick said. “After my mother/her grandmother, whom we called "Moms," died in May after a long bout with Alzheimer's, Katherine decided that the best way to honor her grandmother was to organize Team Moms. She set a modest goal for the team and asked us to help. How could we not?”
“The effects of Alzheimer’s are felt by more that than the person afflicted with the disease,” said Jim Wessler, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter. “It is often the family that is most affected by the disease as they watch Alzheimer’s rob their loved one of first their memories, and later basic life skills.”
“Moms” Alzheimer’s disease had a deep impact on her family. Mrs. Patrick shared the steps they took as a family to keep her safe:
“My mother's Alzheimer's was slow in its development so it took awhile before we even received a proper diagnosis,” Mrs. Patrick said. “In the meantime, my father was completely dedicated to taking care of all of mom's needs. He began just by handling the basics: cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, paying the bills, keeping up with family members. As time passed, and mom's Alzheimer's progressed, dad did everything for her - cut, washed and styled her hair, made sure she ate her meals, helped her up and down stairs and from room to room, administered her medications, helped her dress, made her doctor's appointments, everything.”
“Both of them were in their 80s and, needless to say, this was not easy for either of them,” Mrs. Patrick continued. “Eventually, my father began to show the strains of his care giving. Though he resisted fiercely, my sister and I convinced our father that it would be best if mom had the 24-hour care of a residential facility. We found a facility within a mile of my mom's and dad's house which allowed dad to have lunch with her on most days over her last few years. From there, we watched as mom slowly forgot most everything - except my dad. And though she struggled mightily as she realized her memories were disappearing, she never lost her sweetness, her smile, her mild manners, or her grace.”
When asked, “What advice would you give to others who have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease?” Mrs. Patrick replied:
“Be patient and kind to your loved one, keep the conversations going even when it appears that nothing is being received, and keep smiling,” Mrs. Patrick said. “Tell them you love them and, although they can't say it, you know that they love you, too. Somehow I know that my mother knew when I was there, what I was saying to her, and that she wanted to tell me she loved me. I helped her with that.”
Every 70 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s. More than 5 million Americans have the disease, including 120,000 in Massachusetts. These numbers will grow dramatically in the coming years as the baby boom generation ages. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease of the brain, for which there is no known cure, affecting one in 10 people over 65.
For more information about the Greater Boston Memory Walk and other walk locations throughout Massachusetts in Walpole (9/26), Gardner (9/26), Manchester, NH (9/27), Westfield (9/27), Andover (10/4), and Plymouth (10/4) visit www.memorywalkmanh.org.
The Alzheimer's Association, the world leader in Alzheimer’s disease research and support, is a voluntary health organization dedicated to finding preventions, treatments and eventually a cure. The organization’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
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