November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Due to overwhelming support, Gilmer County has declared November Alzheimer's Awareness month. After the wonderful success of the first Apple Valley Memory Walk to raise awareness for Alzheimer's, individuals in Gilmer County decided that there was more that could be done, if they put their efforts in the right places. When the walk earned over $10,000 for research, the group sprang into to find new avenues in which to get the word out about Alzheimer's awareness.

Gilmer is only one of 21 counties in the North Georgia counties that signed the proclamation declaring that November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month. The group has already begun plans for the 2009 Apple Valley Memory Walk.

Alzheimer's affects over five million Americans each year. The disease is a progressive and often fatal brain disease that targets the brain cells, causing impaired memory and thinking in individuals. It is currently the sixth leading cause of death in individuals within the United States, and the numbers are rising.

Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's, though research continues today. There are medications that can slow the process, but the exact cause and how to reverse the disease has yet to be discovered.

That is why such events as the Apple Valley Memory Walk are important. It helps to get the word out about the disease and raises awareness in areas where Alzheimer's may not have been considered. Many people do not know the exact symptoms of Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases, so they do not know what to ask, or tell, doctors when they go for visits.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease. Symptoms can go undetected or written off for years, before anyone notices any real symptom. By then, it could be too late for some individuals. Some of the warning signs for Alzheimer's and dementia are troubling communicating, memory loss, difficulties with language, decreased judgment, unusual changes in mood and personality, misplacing items frequently, and disorientation, particularly in time and place.

Alzheimer's patients will do extraordinary things, like placing the milk in the dryer or forgetting the name of a toothbrush. The occasional forgetting of names, places, and misplacing of items is normal, particularly as we all age; however, for individuals with Alzheimer's, they can get lost in their own subdivision or forgetting how to do everyday tasks like fixing dinner.

Becoming aware of the warning signs is the first step in ensuring that you or your family member receive the treatment needed. And with the caring hearts, such as those North Georgia Alzheimer's Association, more individuals can receive early detection and treatment.

If you think you may have Alzheimer's or dementia, or believe you know someone who does, you can call the Alzheimer's Association hotline at 1.800.272.3900. For information on the North Georgia office, call the Alzheimer's office at 706-275-0819.