Sir, – I couldn’t agree more with the letter writer regarding Shannon Murray’s touching story of her mother who suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s disease (“We renamed it Ally-Zee – we wanted to disempower it”, Health, February 17th).
I was also disappointed to hear of Murray’s experience when the diagnosis was made. To be told this bluntly with no hope must have been devastating. While it is true there is no cure at this time for Alzheimer’s disease, there is a pathway of management and help to deal with the inevitable deteriorating stages of this disorder.
Although the condition is rare under the age of 65, those of us who specialise in this field, particularly in memory clinics, encounter cases of young onset Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders not too infrequently. The implications of this diagnosis are significant. There is a common misconception that this is a disorder of the elderly, which could not be further from the truth.
People in this group often have dependent children. They will almost certainly have significant financial commitments such as mortgages. Of note, this age group are physically fit and active. There are implications for various daily activities such as the use of a car or driving as part of their profession. More importantly, the person with a diagnosis of early onset dementia feels stigmatised as it is often considered an old person’s disease. Lastly, significant relationship difficulties can occur due to the behavioural challenges of the disease. Role reversal may happen as the disease progresses.
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I believe there should be more awareness in the medical profession and the public in general concerning this disease and its implications. I believe this group is forgotten due to the misconception that this is a disease of older people. Lastly, I would like to commend the Alzheimer’s disease Society Ireland for their contribution to raising awareness of both early and late onset Alzheimer’s disease. – Yours, etc,
Dr DENIS EUSTACE,
Glasnevin,
Dublin.
