Is Alzheimer's Everywhere?

My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's.

Is Alzheimer's everywhere?

I don't get out much these days. But, I make an effort to take my mother out every Friday night. We always go to a place where we can easily interact with people. This is part of the effort to keep my mother socialized and in the "world".

Last night, we went to Vic and Angelo's in downtown Delray Beach, Florida. A really fantastic venue. If you click on the image to the left, you'll hear a nice rendition of a song you might recognize.

Usually I stand and my mother sits. Since I always have a smile on my face, people find it easy to approach and talk with me.

Last night, I had a conversation with a woman and a man that were waiting to go inside (we were eating on the outside). Sure enough, the woman told me about her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 58. She was a little surprised to see me, and my 93 year old out and about.

Now to my point. We went to Vic and Angelo's three out of the last four Friday's. And, every time I met someone that was related to a sufferer of Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's seems to be everywhere.

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100 Million Adults Touched by Alzheimer's

Examining the Impact of Alzheimer's Disease in America

More than half of Americans report that they have been touched by someone (living or deceased) who has Alzheimer's disease, and roughly a third of Americans are worried about getting Alzheimer's. The majority of Americans have a poor understanding of the fatal and progressive brain disease and the extent of its impact on individuals and society.

These are among the key findings of the HBO ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT/HARRIS INTERACTIVE CENSUS, a new survey that reveals the impact of Alzheimer's, what Americans think about the disease, and how it has affected them, their relatives and friends.

The survey found that:

• 54% of the U.S. population, or more than 100 million people, has been touched in some way by Alzheimer's.
• More than half (52%) of those surveyed reported knowing someone living with the disease or someone who had it, but is now deceased.

Source HBO and Harris Interactive

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Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for advice and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 700 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.