November is the Awareness month for many wild and wonderful things. Pomegranates for the wild, Native American history for the wonderful. But additionally this month hosts awareness for things that touch a lot of us in many ways, and very rarely good ones. It's Alzheimers Awareness Month.

There are over 16,000 young people in the UK with Dementia

For me, I first learned about Alzheimers when I was faced with a 65 year old woman who was retrieving her sandwiches from the washing machine. "That's where I always keep them dear" she told me sincerely.  The joke dictates that the best thing about having Alzheimers is that you can hide your own Easter eggs. And that your old friends become new ones. Jokes aside, Alzheimers is a real issue in todays world.

Alzheimers Disease is one of the most common forms of Dementia. People often get confused about which is what if one is a  cause of another...It's quite simple, Alzheimers is part of the Dementia Spectrum. In the UK alone there are currently 750,000 people with dementia. The term 'dementia' is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. Symptoms of dementia include loss of memory, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.

"My grandma is gone.
What makes it harder is that she's still here."

-EnnostielTheAviatrix -

There is no nice way of describing Alzheimers and I don't want to pretend that it's not a horrific thing. There are ways and means of prolonging life, of coping and of researching deep into its history to try and find a cure. However right now there are other things that need to be done. Alzheimers is a reality, not a fiction. It is important and a huge priority to start designing and delivering packages of care that can help those with dementia and those caring for people with dementia to live with the reality they are having to face. There is research to be done, but there are also lives to be lived right now.

The financial cost of dementia to the UK is over £20 billion a year. In 2010 that was $604 US billion.

It's not just about money. We can throw all the money we want at various charities and causes across our respective countries. Some of you will have the means to donate right now, but most of you won't. But the buck doesn't stop there, there is plenty that you can do. Education is vital. Knowing about these things, is vital. Preparation and knowledge can save weeks, months and even years of heartache. Knowing what you might be facing is better than jumping into the unknown with a blindfold.

60,000 deaths a year are directly attributed to Dementia

Alzheimers UK is an attractive Charity to support because their motto is to help improve the lives of those living with Dementia today. Not just those who are diagnosed but those who are living with the stress and effects of a loved one who has Dementia, and those who are showing signs of Early On-set Dementia. They aim to raise money for research yes, but they also aim to raise money for respite, care and better health services for those living with the reality. They don't just focus on the future, they take into account the present and indeed the past offering a service to those who have lost someone to Dementia.

If Dementia care was a company it would be the worlds largest by annual revenue - exceeding Walmart.

58% of people with Alzheimers live in developing countries. It is estimated that by 2050 this will increase to 71%.

I encourage everybody, as always, to share their experiences here and their memories of dealing with Dementia. Because there is a lot of positive to come from such a negative disease and I think that's quite often missed out in these awareness occasions. I also encourage you to write a journal of your own, reach out to at least one watcher and encourage them to spread knowledge.

"Yesterday I forgot the simple,
The six digits used to call my mum,
And when I proudly recalled them later,
I was gently informed,
That she passed away ten years ago."

-Kaz-D-


Forget - Me -Not

Charity Sale

As has become customary at this time of year, I have marked up a certain amount from the sale of my prints and calendars to go to Charity.

£2 From the sale of anything will be donated to Alzheimers UK in January 2012. I run this throughout the months of November and December and will continue it into January if I can do. The difference this year is that as well as selling here on deviantART and through my facebook and website, I will also be attending two Christmas Fayres as a seller. Which will mean that hopefully more is raised. If you are interested please check out my journal for more information.
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Literature Quoted in this Article

AlzheimersMy grandma is gone.
What makes it harder is that she's still here.
One day she asks for me,
and the next she doesn't know who I am. Loosing Her MindIn my bruised and battered brain,
There are jumbles of words,
That I cannot assemble
Into anything worth speaking,
And this good kind man,
Is smiling at me,  his eyes
Pleading, begging, for something.
He tells me he loves me,
Whilst he grips my shaking hand,
I thought love lasted till the end,
But I don’t remember this
So surely I am at the end
Of my life’s broken story.
Meanings are lost and hurried,
Words lost in a confusion,
That can never come back.
Yesterday changes were slight,
Subtle adjustments to my memories,
Today I feel lost
A stranger in shoes to small.
Faces I do not remember,
Surround me at family gatherings,
Smiling, laughing, talking.
There is a glint in ones eyes,
That tells me I should know him,
Perhaps he is my husband.
I follow coded conversation,
Although it’s not spoken in code.
I just do not know the names,
Of those that they speak of,
Perhaps I’m not supposed to or,
Perhaps they are my children
Clutter surrounds me at my desk as I w

Statistic Sources

www.alz.co.uk/research/files/W… World Alzheimer Report 2010
www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scr… Alzheimers.org.uk Resources