Alzheimer's Disease and the Need for Life Story Preservation

Jody Murphy, one of our Legacy Consultants in Central Virginia sent me this article from the Boomer Project's eZine called Jumpin' Jack Flash. I have no comment on the intellectual property rights to that name lest I hear from attorneys for Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, but I did think the article below was very interesting.

Since my father died from complications from Alzheimer's Disease in 1996, I have first hand sensitivity to the issue. I know how dementia can rob a person of the narrative of their life. Curiously, they also often gain snippets of memory that would have seemed lost. That said, we must remember that it is not only death that reminds us of the necessity of life story capture.

This week USA TODAY reported on the "Upward Trajectory of Alzheimer's" and the 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures statistics that indicates an estimated 5.1 million Americans over 65 now have Alzheimer's. The article went on to say:

The report indicates that about 2.7 million people over age 85 have the disease, but by the time the first wave of Baby Boomers reaches 85 in 2031, an estimated 3.5 million people that age and up will have Alzheimer's.



It is now the sixth leading cause of death for people in the USA, surpassing diabetes. In people over age 65, it is the fifth leading cause of death.


And while deaths from heart disease, stroke and breast and prostate cancers dropped from 2000 to 2006, deaths from Alzheimer's disease increased by 47.1%.

We know dealing with Alzheimer's is already a part of life for millions of Boomers who are caregivers. The upward trajectory is not surprising, though. A quick search of news stories in which the word "Alzheimer's" appears have skyrocketed over the last 20 years:

1988: 1,990 stories
1998: 12,200
2008: 34,300


While Alzheimer's is part of life today, the real question, we think, is whether or not Alzheimer's is ultimately going to be a part of the Boomer future. The sheer numbers of Boomers means we're facing a rapid increase in incidences of Alzheimer's.



If you're really worried, apparently you can have a DNA test to see what your odds are for getting the disease. Tonight ABC Nightline's Terry Moran plans to reveal his test results.



But optimistic Boomers also believe Alzheimer's will be solved by the time the bulk of them reach very old age. From the USA TODAY story:

"I'm an optimist," says William Klein, professor of neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern University's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago. "Though the projections are dire for Baby Boomers, I think there's going to be a handle on it, and we will develop therapies that didn't exist."

Given that Professor Klein is considerably better informed on this than we are, we'll embrace his optimism. The "dire predictions" could also create opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs who are trying to solve Alzheimer's one way or another. Boomers will enthusiastically support any initiative with that goal -- economically, politically, socially and emotionally.


Boomer Line: You won't lose if Alzheimer's is part of your business strategy.