Senior Memory Loss

“Still Alice,” a wonderful novel written by Lisa Genova,  is about a woman named Alice with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.  The author, who is a neuroscientist, weaves scientific and emotional details of the disease throughout the story.  The story is told from Alice’s perspective – a 50 year old Harvard professor who begins to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.  The book follows her journey from her initial assumption that her forgetfulness is due to menopause, through medical exams and testing, to telling family members and friends of her diagnosis, to living a life she had not expected.  As the story evolves, the reader learns how Alice feels as she struggles with day to day activities such as getting dressed, taking a walk and using her Blackberry.   The reader also experiences the pain felt by family members who learn how to be caregivers for Alice while coping with the knowledge that they may have inherited the gene that causes the disease.  The awkwardness expressed by former friends and colleagues jumps off the page as they struggle to interface with an Alice who is different from the Alice they remember.

The book is an emotional, honest read.   It boldly examines the frustration, depression and decline that accompany an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.  It explores Alice’s life over a three year period and is an honest, haunting and heartbreaking portrayal of life with Alzheimer’s.  Yet, the book shares hope by including discussions of possible treatments.  Most importantly, it teaches readers to view people with Alzheimer’s not as victims, but as people living their real lives. 

“Still Alice” has received high marks from the National Alzheimer’s Association… the book is featured on their website (www.alz.org).  For more information visit www.stillalice.com.   I recommend that everyone read this book, as it puts a very human face on a disease that will shape our future.