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Local activist gives talk on Alzheimer's
By GEORGE MOORE
The National Institute of Aging estimates that about 4 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. Further estimates say that 14 million Americans will have the disease by the year 2040, unless a cure or means of prevention is found.
"It's simply a function of more people--baby boomers--living into the at-risk population," said William Fisher, CEO of the Alzheimer's Association of Northern California.
Fisher spoke about the disease Feb. 25 at the senior center, giving a presentation called, "Alzheimer's--Beginning to Cope (ABC)."
Fisher moved from Chicago in 1986, becoming executive director of the association in 1987 and accepting the role of CEO last year.
"There's something fundamentally different about this disease because it has to do with who you are when you look into the mirror in the morning," Fisher said. "It is one thing to say to yourself, 'My backhand isn't as good as it used to be,' but it is another to say, 'I'm not as smart as I used to be.'"
Fisher said a typical scenario for a family is that they have seen some symptoms, but ignored them or explained them in other ways. Then at some point, because it's a progressive and degenerative disease, the family comes to grips with it.
Fisher explained that a big difference between Alzheimer's and other ailments is the loss of the ability to make sound decisions. He said his father recently discovered that he had cancer and has to make a decision whether to start with chemotherapy or immediately have an operation. Fisher said he would discuss this with his wife and other family members, but ultimately he will decide.
"One of the things with Alzheimer's is your reasoning abilities become compromised," Fisher said. "So you're not a good decision maker anymore regarding healthcare, legal or financial issues."
According to Fisher, only 1 percent of the population under the age of 65 has Alzheimer's. It affects 10 percent of the population over 65 and 47 percent of those 85 and older.
"There's a theory that if we all live to be 140, we would all develop Alzheimer's," Fisher said. "Another theory is that some of us may be insulated against it genetically."
Fisher said most people who attend the ABC seminars are the caregivers--sons, daughters, husbands and wives--and occasionally those who actually have the disease. He said the program offers people the opportunity to get started--a roadmap covering what's on the horizon, what is dementia, and how Alzheimer's fits into that picture. He also discusses the assessment, as well as what life is like after diagnosis.
Fisher said that often people who attend the seminars are worried about a particular family member. They may not have consulted a doctor, but are seeing symptoms and are concerned. Others may have been to a doctor and were referred to the association.
"When you get to this point, there's a high level of panic and you're not sure what to do," Fisher said. "The program hopefully helps people calm down a little bit, get a sense of what the future might look like, and get connected with answers. Because Alzheimer's is a progressive and degenerative condition, questions today will be different than what they will be six months or a year from now."
Fisher hopes people come away from the seminar with an understanding of their options, knowing it cannot be cured and that things will get progressively worse.
"That's a tough message right there," he said.
The Alzheimer's Association is the largest private source of funding for research of the disease in the country, according to Fisher. And the Bay Area is one of the largest research areas in the world, due in part to its thriving biotechnology industry. Fisher said research is looking at antioxidants, anti-inflammatory drugs and estrogen, to name just a few.
"I've heard scientists say that it's possible in the next 20 years to delay the onset of Alzheimer's five to 10 years," he said. "That may not sound like much, but if you delayed it five years today, it would eliminate 50 percent of the disease--if delayed 10 years, it would eliminate 75 percent of the disease."
Fisher added that nobody is going to live forever, but it could improve the quality of life for people in their later years. Fisher said his grandmother is a good example. She lived with the disease for about 12 years, and Fisher said if she had not been afflicted, her quality of life would have been fundamentally different.
"The same thing applies to my mother's life as her caregiver and the memories that her grandchildren have of her," he said.
Most services from the Alzheimer's Association are free, and a 24-hour contact center help line, 800.660.1993, can handle calls in a variety of languages. The web address is www.alznorcal.org and the main office, located at 2065 W. El Camino Real, Suite C, in Mountain View, can be reached at 650.962.8111.
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