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Alzheimer's disease causes people to slowly lose all touch with reality and it also causes a shut down of the bodies involuntary and voluntary functions. In the early stages of the disease those who have it seem to be normal, except they tend to forget things.

During this time it is perfectly fine to let your children visit and react with their Grandpa and Grandma. However, when those Grandparents are visibly unable to function properly a visit by your children will certainly allow them to see the slow death of people who they also love very much.

In fact, those Grandparents might not even recognize your children. It truly is a terrible and horrific thing to see your one or both of your loved ones die in that manner. Also, your children might live in fear for the rest of thier life that some day that will happen to them. Then again, most children really have no sense of their own mortality or why people die as each of us do.

It is also true that those people who have the disease, at times, become violent and abusive to all who they come in contact with. That's really not their fault. You see, those people no longer have control of their mind and the effects of the disease cause them to do things that they would not otherwise do. You yourself could be harmed during one of those times when you are trying to help or take care of that person.

It is sad but true that eventually that person will starve to death because that person is no longer able to feed him/or herself. They lose control of their bodily functions and then pass away. Sure, medical science is able to keep them alive using life support, in hope that a cure will soon be found.

Well, to date, there is no cure for those who are inflicted with Alzheimer's disease, and those horrific events that take place as that person slowly dies. So too, the cost to care for that person is beyond belief. During the estimated 8 years that it takes for the person to die, that cost could amount to a few hundred thousand dollars plus the mental distress of the loved one or loved ones who do their best to care for that person.

I truly wish that a cure would soon be found because it is truly a horrific way to eventually pass away. Not only for the person who has the disease, but also for the people who truly love that person. I, with my own eyes, saw and heard about many people who had or have the disease and when you are in concact with one of those people anything can happen when you least expect it. Physical and/or verble abuse is a common event, even if that person knows who you are. You must be prepared for such an event because such behavior can occur at any moment.

If that does happen, the best place for such a person is a nursng home or some place where professional medical people are better able to care for that person. Sooner or later the care of that person will require all of your time and attention. As heartless as that might might seem, you too have a life and such a burden is beyond the abilities of just one person.

Learn more about this author, Joseph Malek.
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