Younger Onset Alzheimer’s

What does it mean when someone says they have “younger onset Alzheimer’s?”  Anyone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease under the age of 65 is considered to have younger onset.  Disturbingly, there have been adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 50% of individuals with Alzheimer’s nationwide have younger onset.  Much more common is late onset Alzheimer’s, when someone receives a diagnosis after the age of 65.

While being diagnosed or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s presents challenges no matter what one’s age, receiving a diagnosis at a younger age presents unique concerns.  Questions like:  Will I have to quit my job?  Does my young child understand what’s going on?  How will my parents, friends and family react to this?  What resources are available?  All are serious issues to grapple with.  The good news is that families facing these issues do not have to face them alone!  The Alzheimer’s Association would like to invite individuals caring for someone with younger onset Alzheimer’s disease to attend our ongoing monthly Younger Onset Caregiver Support Groups.

I also want to share that the Alzheimer’s Association has been a tremendous support to me, and even with all my daily challenges, I still continue to receive their help.  I regret, when I first began to notice symptoms of Alzheimer’s, I didn’t do much about them.  I passed it off as something I could deal with when I became much older.

But then my words started going away, and I couldn’t think of people’s names.  When it became difficult to write I decided I needed to see a doctor.  He prescribed medicine and put me through a battery of tests.  The last test, a PT Scan resulted in the diagnosis—Alzheimer ’s disease.  We now know that my grandmother on my dad’s side had Alzheimer’s.  I wish I would have known that earlier—my life may have been different than it is now.

Karen,  Thank You for your help!