Alzheimer’s Disease: Breaking the Stigma

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease is never easy. The stigma associated with it even makes the entire situation worse. Oftentimes, other people put a label to the illness and such labels are negative and degrading to the person affected with the disease. Because of the prevalence of negative labels towards people suffering from this disease, there are families who would shun at the thought of seeking medical assistance, in receiving an early diagnosis, and in making available plans. This affects the quality of life of the elder who has the disease. That is why it is now high time to battle and spread awareness regarding the realities of Alzheimer’s disease. This can help the people and the families affected live their lives as best as possible. Here are some ways from Abundant Life Assisted Services on how you can help spread the right information and educate others regarding what this condition is about:

Communicate the fact that you know. If you have a family member who has the disease, it pays to do a research and collect important facts about the disease. Through this, whenever your neighbor or a stranger ask you something about it, then you can base your answers on indisputable facts and share to them accurate data which could help dispel the bias they have against Alzheimer’s disease.

• Engage others in a conversation. For those who are ignorant about what the disease is, it is imperative to engage them in a conversation that’s open and direct. You need to emphasize the current plight of those elderly who are affected by this condition, the sacrifices of their families in attending to their needs, the medical treatment and the necessary care given. This will allow you to educate others and ward off their negative ideas about Alzheimer’s.

• Look for support. It is essential to join different organizations in your communities, as well as connect with Senior Home Care Services in Georgia, which also share the same interest as you do. Make sure that you connect with others so you know where to get assistance in times when you feel discouraged in your current situation.

• Be active. The best thing that you could ever do is to be a powerful voice for your loved ones who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. When you are passionate about delivering the message of reality regarding the condition, your small actions will be good enough to end the stigma that others have on people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Now is the right time to reframe the idea about Alzheimer’s disease. By repainting how Alzheimer’s is seen, persons, and families affected by it will not anymore hesitate to come out in the open. More and more people will be able to seek early treatment and benefit from prompt medical services that will result in a rosy prognosis. Tapping Senior Care Services helps too.

What should be communicated to others is that Alzheimer’s diagnosis is not a label that characterizes a person’s inability to function and become productive. The label should not be the end-all-be-all argument about Alzheimer’s.