Every 66 seconds, someone in this country is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. It's the sixth leading cause of death in the United Stateside, and as our nation gets older, that incidence will increase.
On Wednesday, Stateside heard a first-hand account of the challenges of early-onset Alzheimer's: a woman whose dementia began in her mid-50s.
But what support is there when a family is coping with a disease that has few, if any, options?
Jennifer Howard, executive director of the Michigan Great Lakes Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, joined Stateside to discuss the difficulties of caring for loved ones with early-onset Alzheimer’s including the finality of the diagnosis, the financial hardship of caregiving, and the measures people can take to proactively address the illness.
To access resources through the Alzheimer’s Association, call their 24/7 hotline at 1-800-272-3900 or visit their site at alz.org.
Minding Michigan is Stateside’s ongoing series that examines mental health issues in our state.
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