“When my mother was diagnosed we felt very isolated, we felt frustrated because there was a lot of questions on how to deal with the disease,” she says. Unfortunately, people don’t share how they’ve dealt with the disease and by sharing her story, it’s opening a door and getting the message out that you are not alone.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it’s the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and there more than 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s affecting over 15 million caregivers that have to care for their loved ones. By 2050 this number could rise as high as 16 million.
“My first advice to other families that are dealing with this disease is to reach out to the Alzheimer’s Association,” she says. “They are an incredible source of information and of support, they are supporting the caregivers and their families that are dealing with the disease but at the same time they are pushing forward with the research that’s so important at the moment.”