Jane woke up one morning and was astonished to find a strange man in bed with her. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” she shouted as the man looked on with surprise and shock. Jane, aged 71 is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The intruder in her bed is her husband of 60 years and is someone who dearly loved her and has shared the bed with her all the while they were happily married.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia named after the German physical Alois Alzheimer (1864 to 1915). Sufferers of this disease gradually lose their memory. As one of the worst form of memory loss, those afflicted can remember events that happened 20 years ago but not what they ate for breakfast half an hour ago.
Notable dignitaries afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease include the late US President Ronald Reagan. Once the disease has progressed, sufferers don’t even recognise their closest relatives. They suffer huge interference in orientation and also severe depression. In recent years, it has been determined that this disease is hereditary. Continue reading ‘Old Age, Memory Loss And Keeping The Brain In Shape’ »