53.
Fifty. Three.
That’s how old country singer, Jay Allen’s, mother is. She is currently dealing with the early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. See the beautiful video below of the song he wrote and dedicated to his mother aptly titled, “Blank Stares,” on stage at the Dubuque County Fair.
Did you know that the youngest baby boomer turns 54 this year? So for those of you in the baby boomer age range, your chance of being diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s just went up. Over 5 million people in the US are currently diagnosed with the disease.
The song begins with a voicemail his mother left for him, and you hear her lose her train of thought and just hang up a few moments into her message. He then goes on to sing about how he lives for those lucid moments where she remembers him and little bits of their life.
Dementia or Alzheimer’s is considered an incapacity in the eyes of the law. Because the disease interferes with your brain, you lack the ability to remember. It begins with short term memory and then, as the disease advances, hacks your long term memory. This incapacity can mean you no longer are able to make reasonable decisions for yourself and need someone to assist you with your activities of daily living (ADLs) as well as assistance managing your assets and finances.
It is so important that we execute documents (known as advanced directives) appointing someone to care for us and manage our life should something like dementia or Alzheimer’s happen. Stop and ask around… how many people do YOU know that are touched by this disease?
Don’t let their life (or yours) fall into the control of a public and court-ruled Guardianship. Name someone you trust to help you should this time come.
Here is the actual music video: BLANK STARES
