The human brain contains more than 100 billion cells known as neurons. Through a complex network of electrical pulses, these neurons are able to create and recognize patterns in every part of the brain that are then interpreted into what we know as memories. Sometimes, a brain can begin to literally die as it ages, and plaques and tangles build up within the brain cells, preventing electric currents from being transmitted, ultimately causing loss of memory and everyday functions. This defect is known as Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia that occurs primarily among elderly citizens.

“Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the USA, and is the only of the top ten diseases that is not curable.” said Patricia Collins, a certified dementia practitioner at Harbor Point, a senior living memory care community in Centerville.

After Collins’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2001, Collins was disappointed by the lack of community resources available regarding Alzheimer’s. She entered into the field of Alzheimer’s to fill a gap in her life, especially after her mother passed.

Cape Cod alone has an Alzheimer’s population of 10,000—more than 5 percent of the total population, said Collins.

“This is not like any other disease because it is so unpredictable, there is no clearly defined path,” said Collins. Joining support groups provides an outlet for not only patients but caregivers as well.

Collins stresses the importance of having an outlet for caregivers, since taking care of Alzheimer’s patients can be so taxing that 40 percent of caregivers generally have a medical crisis before the patients they tend to. On Cape, dementia support groups are quite common and can be found in nearly every town.

What frequently occurs is that many patients “early on try to self-isolate because they know something’s wrong with them.” said Collins. In order to avoid this, society must become more tolerant with and educated about the disease in order to “destroy the stigma attached to people with dementia, so that the people are still treated with dignity.”

Some of the most prominent early symptoms of dementia include constant repetitiveness, immediate short term memory loss, a personality change and difficulty with word retrieval.

Marlo George, an algebra and geometry teacher, started noticing her mother had Alzheimer’s through little changes in behavior. “She started forgetting appointments or changing ingredients to recipes.” said George.

Her mother now has progressed into stage six of seven stages of Alzheimer’s, and she frequently reverts to long-term memory, since her short-term memory lacks.

According to George, the worst time of day is when the sun is setting, known as sundowning. At this time, many Alzheimer’s patients get antsy from the energy that wasn’t exerted during the day and they believe it is time to “go home from work,” said George.

George suggests caregivers or family members to “keep them active during the day, and play mind games to offset sundowning.”  Through four years, George has learned multiple ways to manage Alzheimer’s at home.

When dealing with someone affected by Alzheimer’s you must try to “redirect your frustration because they don’t know what they’re doing.” said George. Keep things familiar, it’s best not to change their environment too much and when they begin to tell stories, don’t correct them to prevent irritation or confusion.

“There isn’t anything to be done medically, but there are things to be done to improve the quality of life,” said Collins.