From: hound23x@gmail.com   
      
   Oscar-nominated performance highlights Alzheimer's   
      
   Elizabeth Masic   
   2 days ago   
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   Elizabeth Masic is executive director of Barton House, Nashville's first and   
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   In the new feature film "Still Alice," Academy Award-nominated actress   
   Julianne Moore portrays Alice Howland, a 50-year-old linguistics professor who   
   is facing early-onset Alzheimer's disease.   
      
   This movie brings much-needed attention to Alzheimer's disease. Every 67   
   seconds, someone in the United States develops the disease. In 2014, there   
   were more than 5.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease, and more   
   than 15 million caregivers    
   taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer's.   
   Families quickly have to make hard decisions about their loved ones. When do   
   you stop driving and living on your own, and how do you tell their friends and   
   other family members about early-onset Alzheimer's disease? Dementia is a   
   leading cause of death    
   among elderly Americans, and it becomes critical for a person with dementia to   
   discuss issues of care with their trusted family and friends.   
   As you can imagine, when people have memory loss, driving can become confusing   
   and create safety issues for those living with dementia and early stages of   
   Alzheimer's disease. Discussions with family members need to focus on safety   
   and the next steps to    
   protect them. Oftentimes we think we can take care of our parents who are in   
   the early stages, but we hear so many stories of people getting lost, falling   
   prey to scams or being around common but dangerous items in the kitchen or   
   garage.   
   Because Alzheimer's disease is progressive, a person will continue to lose   
   abilities over time, including the ability to make decisions about driving,   
   living arrangements and future medical treatment and care.   
      
   AP   
   Julianne Moore appears in a scene from the movie "Still Alice," which calls   
   attention to the plight of Alzheimer's patients and caregivers.   
   More importantly, it is essential for the person with dementia to complete   
   advance directives and appoint a health care decision-maker when they lose the   
   ability to make decisions on their own.   
   According to the Alzheimer's Association, the "right to know" is an important   
   patient right that helps protect dignity and well-being. A "conspiracy of   
   silence" has been found to be detrimental for all serious diseases --   
   Alzheimer's is no exception.   
   Generally, patients in the early stages know something is wrong, and when they   
   ask, they deserve to be told precisely what it is. This can help allay their   
   fears and uncertainties. When a patient knows what is happening to him, he can   
   exercise informed    
   choice about the care he will receive. While still capable of making decisions   
   (in the earliest stages of the illness), he should be given control over what   
   is being done with his body, and he should be granted a right to his own   
   privacy.   
   For more information, please join a new Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Group   
   hosted by the Mid-South Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, Bellevue   
   Presbyterian Church and the Barton House on Thursday, Feb. 19. The event,   
   running from 6-7 p.m., will be    
   held at the Barton House, 6961 Highway 70 in Bellevue. The meeting is free and   
   open to the public. To register, please call 615-673-6922.   
   Elizabeth Masic is executive director of Barton House, Nashville's first and   
   only dedicated memory care residence, located at 6961 U.S. Highway 70 South.   
   Visit www.bartonhousetn.com for more information.   
      
      
   http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2015/02/15/   
   lzheimers-still-alice-movie/23297223/   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)