Chapter 1. Chapter 24

Synopsis

Nadine is a 77-year-old Caucasian woman who has lived independently since the death of her husband 17 years ago. About two years ago, she began showing signs of cognitive decline: difficulty completing sentences, difficulty with sequencing events, an inability to remember events of the day before, slowed motor behavior, and a seeming lack of engagement with people in social situations.

A year ago, Nadine visited her doctor, telling him that she was depressed over the recent deaths of several close friends and family members. Her doctor prescribed an antidepressant. She would take an antidepressant for several weeks, complain about the side effects of the medication, and then ask her doctor to put her on a different antidepressant. This "medication hopping" lasted a year, but Nadine showed no improvement in her mood. Instead she lost about 20 pounds because she didn't feel like eating. Her sons agreed that the most pressing problem was getting Nadine to eat an adequate, nutritious diet. Bringing food over to her house didn't help; she seldom ate what they brought her.

Nadine's sons grew increasingly frustrated with their mother's refusal to eat a balanced diet and take her medications. What she hadn't told them was that she had had a CAT scan four years ago that showed cellular degeneration and shrinkage in her brain; another CAT scan last year showed even more cellular degeneration and brain shrinkage. This information was revealed to Nadine's sons during their visit with a psychiatrist specializing in gerontology. The psychiatrist diagnosed Nadine with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, saying that she was about four years into the disease process and that she didn't have much time left to live independently. Her sons must plan for Nadine's future care and living arrangements.

Visit this Web site: www.alz.org (on the home page click the Alzheimer's and Dementia button and then click Stages; also on the home page click the Life with ALZ button and then click Caregiver Center).