COLLEGE STATION, Texas — 'This Is Us' at the moment can be considered ratings gold for NBC. The hit show and its stars have been nominated and won numerous awards and the comedy/drama has been a fan favorite since its premiere in 2016. One of the big draws of the show is its ability to resonate with its audience. Many of the scenarios that the characters face are what regular people face on a daily basis.
Tuesday night's fall finale is expected to be a tear-jerker. We won't give away any spoilers here but it appears in its weekly promotions the show is hinting at one of the main characters beginning to show signs of a painful disease: Alzheimer's.
November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month and the local chapter of the Alzheimer's Association is taking the opportunity to help people learn the warning signs of this devastating disease.
“Family caregivers are often times the first type of caregiver that we have," said Sara Winkler,who is the Regional Outreach coordinator for the Alzheimer's Association. "People with Alzheimer's disease, it’s usually taken care of in the home before it’s taken care of in any facility or hospital.”
Alzheimer's disease traditionally starts at age 65, but for caregivers, sometimes the signs can be difficult to recognize, or often, accept.
Tonight's episode of "This Is Us" touched on the issue many families in the Brazos Valley and across the world face every day. According to the Alzheimer's Association Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter, more than 380,000 Texans are living with Alzheimer's disease. That means, more than one million family members and friends are helping to provide care for their loved ones.
“Warning signs can come in a lot of different ways, but is usually going to come through different behaviors,” Winkler said. The Alzheimer's Association has put together a rundown of 10 warning signs that caregivers should look out for.
“Memory loss that disrupts daily life. Challenges in planning or solving problems. This might be trying to organize your day, as far as ‘I need to go to the dry cleaner or the grocery store. Difficulty completing familiar tasks, cooking a common recipe or personal hygiene,” Winkler said. “Confusion with time or place. People that may not know the month or day that it is. These are people who might think it’s Christmas in July and really believe that."
Winkler also added there are issues of confusion of time or place, visuals and spacial relationships. “We see this a lot with driving because they can't judge distance and speed on the road.”
Other signs include mood or personality changes and losing the ability to retrace steps or misplacing things.
“We often think of people getting agitated when they accuse someone of stealing something," Winkler explained. "They’ve misplaced something, they’re unable to find it and they often get suspicious of other people."
During times of clarity, many people who are suffering from the disease begin to notice the signs in themselves, Winkler added. She said many people withdraw from work or social activities because they become self-conscious of what's going on.
The Alzheimer's Association wants people to look out for signs of the disease in their loved ones and if they start to recognize them, make an appointment with a primary care physician. A family doctor is a comforting start and can help families decide what the next step is.
Alzheimer's can be a devastating diagnosis, but, Winkler wants people to know they are not alone. "Home care can be very isolating for caregivers," Winkler said. "There is support and community out there for them."
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