2012 UPDATE: On August 21, 2011, we lost the matriarch to our family due to complications of Alzheimer's. She lived a long and happy life. At the age of 90, she left behind two sons, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren, three grandchildren-in-laws and eight great grandchildren who loved her very much and carry her lessons and love with us every day.
Although originally from Pennsylvania my brother Ed and I grew up in Louisville, KY. After serving in the Navy, I relocated my family to Atlanta and have been here since 1972. I have two children with my ex-wife Davina, Melinda and Jason, a daughter-in-law, Jolee, and three grandchildren, Jessica, Makenzie, and Parker. Ed and his wife Joyce, have two children Eric and Sheila and 5 grandchildren, Kyle, Alex, Chad, Rebecca and Andrew.
When my mom came to Atlanta from Pennsylvania to live with me because she was getting older, age 80, I was already doing her financials and really was not aware how deficient her short-term memory had become. After a couple of years of living with me, she started having serious problems such as seeing things that weren’t there in the night, constantly misplacing her keys, her purse and forgetting how to perform simple tasks such as making coffee.
Like most families, when an aging parent or grandparent starts to behave in an unusual manner or has memory problems, we tend to dismiss it as, “Oh, they’re just getting older, it’s just part of the process.” “They’re just becoming senile” becomes a common phrase to explain away the behavior. However, when they start to act completely out of character- for instance, repeat the same question numerous times within a short time period or forget how to cook- we have to consider other possibilities.
This was the experience that my family began to observe with my mother, Laona, about 7 years ago. She was having problems with her short term memory, had difficulty performing simple tasks, and constantly “lost or someone had stolen” her purse or keys. My daughter, Melinda, was the first person who recognized that something other than just “aging” was occurring with her. We consulted a geriatric doctor, then a neurologist and discovered she had Alzheimer’s. Because we had thought this was a possibility we had already started to research the disease not really understanding the full extent and ramifications the prognosis would have on her and the family.
Laona, or GG, as her great grandchildren call her, has been an extremely influential matriarch in our family, especially since our dad died in 1979. She assisted in raising my daughter, Melinda, and son, Jason. She has shown her great grandchildren how to cook, has given sound financial advice and has always been a person of common sense, stability, humor and reliability to the whole family. She still has many close friends who want updates on her condition. She is loved by all that meet her, and everyone loves her great smile.
After the diagnosis and many months of trying to understand the disease and dealing with it’s effects on her, the decision was made in September 2007 by our family to move her from living with me to Arbor Terrace at West Cobb. Needless to say, this was a traumatic event for both the family and my mom, and it has not been without many challenges.
For almost two years, she lived in the Assisted Living section where she had her own room and could come and go as she pleased. In September 2009, she was moved to “Evergreen” (the 24/7 restricted access section) as the disease had progressed significantly. As any family member can attest, it’s very difficult to watch a person you know and love “disappear” right before your eyes. Jennifer Ferguson, Executive Director at Arbor Terrace at West Cobb, and her staff have been exceptionally helpful in assisting us in dealing with my mom, with this terrible disease and its rapid progression.
This golf tournament is our family’s way of trying to raise awareness, help educate, and raise research funds to combat this disease. Everyone involved in this tournament is a volunteer with 100% of all the profits going to the Alzheimer’s Association at their annual Memory Walk held each fall.
If you cannot attend or play in our tournament, please consider giving a donation to help us in this most urgent fight against Alzheimer’s. As of April 2010, there are between 5 and 10 million Americans suffering with this disease. Remember there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, only drugs and methods to slow the progression of the disease.
Thanks,
Gary Kitchen
