NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, and a North Royalton couple hopes to spread awareness about the disease that affects more than 220,000 Ohioans.
Kurt and Marsha Schaefer have been married for 56 years, and they're the definition of the wedding vow, "in sickness and in health."
In 2007, Marsha's primary care physician noticed she was experiencing cognitive changes.
"It was so gradual that I didn't notice," said Kurt. "He [physician] is the one that instigated the cognitive test. It's out of 30. I think she got 22 on it, which showed some cognitive diminishing."
Now, at 78 years old, Marsha is in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Kurt is her primary caregiver but has help a few days a week with their at-home care nurse Martha.
"That's why Martha is here, the respite, the relief, and just to get away," he said.
Lexi Ritt is the program manager at the Cleveland chapter's Alzheimer's Association. She said it's important to keep track of cognitive changes, especially for people 65 and older.
"We expect those typical age-related changes, but something is more serious if it's something that's affecting your daily life. So, you know, are you experiencing changes in your memory? Your executive functioning? Your cognition," she said. "A sign of something more serious, like Alzheimer's or any other dementia, would be an inability to follow a conversation or engage in conversation. It's more difficult to be able to do that now."
She said early detection is vital to slowing the progression of the disease.
"You may have access to different treatment options when you're in the earliest stages. You may have the option to participate in clinical trials when you're in the earlier stages and then again, a chance to better prioritize your health when you're in these earlier stages and to manage your social-emotional health as well, which can help preserve cognitive function," said Ritt.
Kurt said Marsha's short-term memory is the most affected by the disease, but it also is starting to affect her long-term memory.
"Memory, with the exception of pre-teen years, pretty much gone," he said. "She doesn't always recognize the grandkids, and that's sad. She asked who I was one time; she wanted to know 'where Kurt was,' I was driving the car, and it took me a little bit by surprise."
But Kurt said he has to remind himself to be positive.
"It does take a lot of patience, patience and time," he added. "We go with the flow. We do what we have to do and do what we want to do."
He said they take it day by day and revel in the good days.
"Some days are better than others. Today was a good day," he said.
Ritt said speaking out about the disease, like Kurt, is crucial because it will bring more people to speak out if they have early onset symptoms and let caregivers know they're not alone.
"There is an incredible amount of stigma around this diagnosis. Folks do not feel comfortable to share with those in their lives, whether they're the one experiencing memory change or it's their loved one," said Ritt. "I think a lot of folks think about, you know, maybe when their grandmother had Alzheimer's or dementia, and we have new treatments, we have new research, you know, we're just better equipped to manage this diagnosis now."
If you are a caregiver or one of the 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's, you can call the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 help hotline at 800-272-3900.
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