World Alzheimer's Day & Christian Compassion

 

Loving God, We lift up to you all those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Grant them dignity, comfort, and moments of clarity and recognition. Sustain their families and caregivers with strength, patience, and compassion as they navigate the challenges and heartaches of this journey. We pray for the scientists, medical professionals, and researchers working to understand, prevent, and treat Alzheimer's disease. Bless their efforts with wisdom and guidance, leading to new discoveries and hope for a cure. For all of humanity, we pray for an end to the suffering caused by this devastating disease and for a world where those affected are met with understanding, support, and love. Amen. 

This is World Alzheimer's Day, an occasion to put the spotlight on this specfic form of dementia and the many others.  As populations of Western countries age the number of people with dementia increases. In Canada an estimated 800,000 persons live with dementia and more than 55 million worldwide. It's hard to imagine any of us not knowing someone with dementia and millions of others are affected by this affliction as caregivers.

My mother died of dementia and while she knew us to the end her last months were really difficult. We have a family member who developed early-onset Alzheimer's and now at 69 her short-term memory often doesn't extend beyond 15 minutes. Yet she continues to be a loving person who has a deep appreciation for the beauty in each day and can engage in meaningful in-the-moment conversations. Life is exhausting, though, for her caring husband who is committed to the "in sickness and in health" aspect of their marriage vows. She is aware that she has dementia and, sadly, there are times when she feels shame about the things she says or doesn't say because of her disease. 

It seems to me that on this day Christians and their congregations might deepen their commitments to compassion and education regarding dementia. I've noted before that study and information groups I've led in different congregations about dementia have been well attended. Participants have shared from the heart about their losses and we have talked about how to ensure that loved ones are treated with dignity and not lost as memory fails. We can make a difference in so many ways, including prayer.