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6715618357_1492226f33It didn’t seem like more than a few senior moments for Joan when it started, but soon she and her family couldn’t ignore the signs…

Joan’s son found her keys in the freezer and a carton of milk under the sink.
When her daughter came to get her for her doctor’s appointment, she found Joan disoriented and unbathed.
Joan drove to the supermarket for groceries and ended up 50 miles away, unsure of how she got there.
Joan mentioned spending the day with her sister who has been deceased for 20 years.
When her family pointed out her odd behavior, Joan accused her loved ones of trying to make her look crazy and insisted they made it up to get their hands on her money. 

Joan is just a fictional character, but unfortunately, we’ve all known people experiencing a similar predicament. Everyone has bouts of forgetfulness or gets irritable when our set routines are disrupted, but episodes such as these are impossible to ignore. They suggest the onset of Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

We don’t want to accept that a loved one is slowly being erased, but the sooner a doctor diagnoses the condition, the sooner treatment can begin and important decisions about finances and legal matters be made.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S., taking approximately 500,000 lives. Two-thirds of those who get the disease are female.

Scary stuff, but those dealing with dementia are not in it alone. In Jackson, Regency Retirement Village offers a secure memory care area called Renaissance Centre with resources to care for those with Alzheimer’s and other memory related disorders.

The Renaissance Centre offers the finest care for your loved one.  The specially trained caregivers at Renaissance Centre will make a difference.  We work closely with you to listen and learn as much as possible about your loved one so we can create a program of care and support for them.  We feel it is an honor to be caring for your loved one.

Research shows that people with memory impairments function better in an environment of simplicity, with less confusion and a structured routine.  By partnering with families, we are able to create a special program of activities to support each resident.

The Renaissance Centre offers a safe, secure environment, complete with an enclosed outdoor courtyard.  Renaissance Centre residents enjoy three delicious meals and snacks daily, assistance with dressing, bathing & grooming, medication management, weekly housekeeping and laundry services, and daily activities.

For more information on the Renaissance Centre or to schedule a free consultation, visit  https://www.regencyretirementjackson.com/jackson-retirement-living-amenities-and-services/jackson-memory-care-retirement-communities We respect your privacy and will keep your information confidential.

The Alzheimer’s Association is organizing the 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Jackson on Sept. 20 at Union University. The event raises money to help advance Alzheimer’s support, care and research. To donate and/or participate, visit http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk2014/TN-MidSouth?fr_id=5426&pg=entry or volunteer with Jim Ward at (615) 315-5880.

Further reading:

Alzheimer’s Association: http://www.alz.org/
The Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center: http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers
Alzheimer’s Reading Room: http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/
The New York Times “New Old Age” Blog: http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/