Values and Principles can Outlast Alzheimer's Disease 

It is tragic to lose a family member to due to a progressive disease like Alzheimer's disease, but I would argue that it is just as sad to lose the memories and knowledge of a loved one.

Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating sickness that strikes thousands of Americans yearly. Systematically, the disease attacks vital parts of the brain and makes it increasingly harder for a person to recall information. Eventually, it becomes impossible for an Alzheimer's patient to have normal thought processes and interact with others.

The disease requires long term care that gradually becomes more demanding for caregivers, forcing many families to look for nursing facilities that can look after sick ones around the clock. This painful separation of family members limits interaction with Alzheimer's disease patients and limits the number of opportunities to transfer knowledge from older generations to our children.
Sadly, family traditions, stories and oral histories pass away with our loved ones. Family values and principles can and should outlast the disease and make it from one generation to the other.

Having options for care can prolong the time family members can care for someone with the disease. The transition to care outside the home can be delayed if families have a way to finance the cost of long term care services at home. For example, insurance companies are more willing to pay for assisted living arrangements, which are less expensive than nursing home facilities. And for many caregivers, having access to long term care services at home can ease the burden of caring for family members by providing help with everyday chores and breaks from the stress of tending to a sick person.

If you have to care for someone with Alzheimer's disease, encourage him or her to stay mentally involved with activities like writing and story telling. Spend time with the patient and your children by facilitating conversations to transfer family history and customs. Look at photo albums to help connect children to grandparents. Do this often and for as long as possible, and years from now, your children will know who their elders were and they will understand family traditions extending the memories of lost loved ones.