e of the difficulties the family members deal with on a daily basis (alzsf.org). Families may also want to consider non-traditional forms of treatment that may involve anti-oxidants, massage, art and other therapeutic mediums, among others. Involving the patient in regularly scheduled and routine activities may also provide continuity and allow the patient to function more independently for a longer period of time (alzsf.org).Costs and Research Funding Statistics-Experts estimate that Alzheimers disease costs the United States $80 billion to $100 billion a year in lost productivity, medical care, and personal caretaking.-For people with Alzheimers cared for at home, the average out-of-pocket cost to family caregivers (excluding lost wages) is $12,500 per year.-For people with Alzheimers in nursing homes, the average cost is $42,000 per year per person.-The average cost of caring for a person with Alzheimers from diagnosis until death is $174,000, making Alzheimers disease the nations third most costly illness, after heart disease and cancer.-The Alzheimers disease federal research budget has grown substantially over the past decade, to more than $400 million in 1999. But that figure represents only a small fraction of what the disease costs (Alzheimers.com).Typically, people with Alzheimers express their longings for deep emotional security and unconditional love all the time. Often, we do not choose to hear what they say. Either at home or in care situations, it is typical for these words to be dismissed as the babbling of dementia, but if we stop and listen, we can hear the longings clearly expressed: I want to go home, I want to see my mother, Im lonely, no one ever comes to see me. These are not just nonsense or meaninglessly repeated complaints. They are the deepest longings of the human being, to be cared for and accepted, to be cherished and protected, to be loved (Gray-Davidson, 1996).In the early an...
