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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 14 December 2014

Global development expert Alanna Shaikh takes on the toughest of health issues - dementia- from the ones affecting the globe at large to the ones hurting her own family.

"My dad was my hero and my mentor for most of my life, and I've spent the last decade watching him disappear."

"Based on what I've learned from taking care of my father, and researching what it's like to live with dementia, I'm focusing on three things in my preparation: I'm changing what I do for fun, I'm working to build my physical strength, and -- this is the hard one -- I'm trying to become a better person."

When you care for someone with dementia, and you get training, they train you to engage them in activities that are familiar, hands-on, open-ended..  I am learning some basic origami. I can make a really great box.  And I'm teaching myself to knit, which so far I can knit a blob.

You lose your sense of balance, you get muscle tremors, and that tends to lead people to being less and less mobile.  I'm doing yoga and tai chi to improve my balance, so that when I start to lose it, I'll still be able to be mobile. I'm doing weight-bearing exercise, so that I have the muscle strength so that when I start to wither, I have more time that I can still move around.

Finally, the third thing. I'm trying to become a better person. My dad was kind and loving before he had Alzheimer's, and he's kind and loving now. I've seen him lose his intellect, his sense of humor, his language skills, but I've also seen this: He loves me, he loves my sons, he loves my brother and my mom and his caregivers. And that love makes us want to be around him, even now. even when it's so hard. 

Listen to the talk : 

http://www.ted.com/talks/alanna_shaikh_how_i_m_preparing_to_get_alzheimer_s?language=en

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