I agree with and am inspired by the op-ed by researchers Shana D. Stites and Rebecca T. Brown, “As the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife demonstrate, we need to care for our caregivers” (April 21). My association and I agree that more must be done for people facing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alzheimer’s and other diseases that cause dementia are among the most pressing public health challenges of our time. Today, more than 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, which includes the 250,600 Illinoisans and their 316,000 unpaid caregivers, numbers expected to nearly double by 2060. Behind each of these diagnoses is a family forever changed and a caregiver who often takes on this role with little support.
As someone who advocates for families facing Alzheimer’s, I’ve seen firsthand how devastating this disease can be — not just for the individuals living with it but also for their loved ones. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. It robs people of their memories, independence and, ultimately, their lives.
Caregivers provide unpaid care that is physically, emotionally and financially draining. Many report high levels of stress, depression and declining physical health. And yet, their needs are frequently overlooked by our health care system. The Alzheimer’s Association offers a free 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900, available 365 days a year. Whether you’re living with dementia, caring for someone who is or simply have questions about memory loss, trained specialists and master’s-level clinicians are ready to provide confidential support, information and guidance. This vital resource is open to everyone — individuals, families and members of the public — regardless of the stage of the disease or your location.
The association also offers community education, support groups and care navigation services that can make a real difference in caregivers’ lives. Too many families don’t know where to turn or can’t access these resources.
Alzheimer’s and dementia are not just medical issues — they are human issues. And they are growing. It’s time we prioritize them as such.
— Delia Jervier, Region 9 vice president and executive director, Alzheimer’s Association of Illinois
Co-patient proposal
Regarding the op-ed “As the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife demonstrate, we need to care for our caregivers”: I was aghast at the writers’ proposal. Not only is it logistically and economically infeasible, but it also is blatantly unethical. A physician has a duty of loyalty to the patient. The physician may not take on a “co-patient” whose interests may conflict; they are not a unit. The example of a family therapist is a red herring. In that case, presumably, there is informed consent by all parties after a full briefing of the risks and benefits.
A dementia patient may not have the ability to knowingly consent to the divided loyalty model that this co-patient arrangement might bring. If a conflict later arises, the physician might have to withdraw, disrupting care. The best that the physician might do is to urge the caregiver to seek care elsewhere.
— Kathleen Vyborny, Skokie
Another extinction?
About 252 million years ago at the end of the Permian Period, lava poured out during volcanic eruptions in what is now Siberia and released vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. The air temperature rose, and algae and bacteria bloomed, killing off creatures living in the seas and fresh water lakes and streams.
This was the third and largest great extinction on the planet. It took millions of years for earth to recover with the seeds, plants and creatures that managed to survive. The last major extinction hit about 66 million years ago, wiping out three-quarters of the plant and animal species when an asteroid hit the Gulf of Mexico just off the Yucatan Peninsula.
Today, we continue to burn coal, oil and gas in massive amounts, putting those same gases in the air that caused one of the mass extinctions. We may be doing it slower, but the result could be the same. Those who are denying we are heading for disaster will be cursed by their progeny for the global warming we know is happening!
Are we going to be the cause of the sixth great extinction?
— Chuck Johnson, Morris, Illinois
Kudos to pilots
Every April 26 is International Pilots’ Day when we celebrate the contributions and achievements of pilots across the globe.
On a weather-friendly evening, when the sun is just about gone, I love to sit outside and watch airplanes appear in the dark velvety eastern sky, flying lower and slower, as they prepare for landing at O’Hare International Airport.
I can see as many as 14 airplanes at one time on a clear night, safely spaced from each other, lights twinkling, approaching in silent and seemingly slow procession. What a magical sight. And I think to myself, all these planes will land safely because of the genius and technological skill of human beings.
Heartfelt thanks and praise are owed to the brilliant designers and builders of these flying miracles, the air traffic controllers and the specialized mechanics whom we never see, and the pilots who hold the destiny of each plane in their skillful hands.
— Kathleen Melia, Niles
Bravo to architect
I read with interest Edward Keegan‘s article on Eero Saarinen (“Saarinen’s particularly strange house,” April 20). I actually had the privilege of living in the female dorm that Saarinen designed for the University of Pennsylvania in 1958, which was built in 1960. It was an amazing architectural feat as the dorm rooms were designed around a living area for socialization.
The structure still stands today after a recent $80 million renovation.
— June Levy, Wilmette
Turned off by TV
Someone recommended a new TV series. Within just a few minutes, profanity, visual vulgarity and meanness emerged. Quick exit for me. This muck and endless gratuitous violence seem to dominate today’s “entertainment.”
It’s frightening to think there’s a widespread appetite in our society for depravity. Is decent living really so tiresome? I pray not.
— Richard F. Nolan, Park Ridge
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