Living with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease.
In Washington State, there are currently 150,000 people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. In the rest of the Nation, more than 5 million have Alzheimer’s disease. That number will jump to 16 million by the year 2050. Most of us envision an elderly person with some sort of dementia. We might even expect it to occur in those 85 or older. Listen to me Baby Boomers – young and not-so-young – the number of people diagnosed before the age of 65 – known as early-onset Alzheimer’s – is more common than you think. In the United States alone, those with early-onset disease currently number 200,000.
That number decreased by one when my exceptional sister-in-law died on July 4, 2012 at the age of 69. Just about the time that Baby Boomers should be anxiously making their final retirement plans – such as was the case with my brother and his wife – they are instead dealing with the challenges of managing a disease for which there is no cure.
Sixty-four year old Lon Cole, a resident of Puyallup, Washington, is one of the 200,000. The local NBC affiliate, King5 in Seattle, Washington, ran a touching story about this gentleman. I hope you will take the time to look at this news article: Alive and Thankful: Living with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Those who have managed, or are currently managing, the care of a loved one with early-onset disease, will be touched by this family’s story.
Living: the ultimate team sport 
January 11, 2013 at 8:02 am
[…] very informative article on early-onset Alzheimer’s disease can be found in Baby Boomers and More, a blog written by my wonderful and supportive sister, Irene. Included within this piece is a link […]
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January 2, 2013 at 3:12 am
[…] Living with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease. […]
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January 1, 2013 at 11:33 am
[…] Living with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease. (babyboomersandmore.com) […]
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December 30, 2012 at 9:51 am
[…] Living with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease. (babyboomersandmore.com) […]
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December 29, 2012 at 5:29 pm
I’m sorry about the loss of your sister-in-law. Your comment reminds me of my mom. She had just retired when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My dad was also making plans for retirement and their future would be one of traveling and spending time with their grandkids. Sadly, my mom never got to enjoy her retirement and my dad is still working. Thanks for sharing.
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December 29, 2012 at 6:51 pm
The twists and turns of life are multiple. How we respond is singular. Thank you, Kathy, for your input.
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