“My vision of Alzheimer’s was something exclusive to old people.” That’s a powerful statement from a young man about his father who was diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia at age 51.
Our definition of old changes every day as we grow older. It seems to stretch further than ever before. The retirement age continues to creep upward as we work longer out of enjoyment or economic necessity. As we approach landmark birthdays, we don’t see ourselves as “old” as our parents or grandparents were at that age.
And we certainly don’t expect 50 year olds to be diagnosed with dementia or memory loss. However, it is happening. It is a reality, and that’s why we need to be more attentive than ever, to look for clues to unexplained behavior, to safeguard our loved ones’ health.
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