For several years, we suspected something was wrong with my Dad.

Aside from his normal behavior, he began to have more difficulty in remembering newer things, and to believe without a doubt in things that were not real.

He was always a bit ornery; but, things seemed to get worse for him. We finally found out that he had Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia.

The first real evidence that something was not right was when a neighbor had a desk they were giving away for free, and he took it. We brought it into the house for him. Then, my Mom and I went off to an estate auction.

By the time we returned home, he remembered (in his mind) that that desk was his, that he had given the center desk drawer to Walmart to have them fix it, and that two little toy cars he found it belonged to my sister. None of that actually happened.

He developed what we later discovered was something called “sundowners symptoms.” When the sun went down, his mind and behaviors would get worse.

It was in 2016 that we finally had him hospitalized and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to my Dad, his father had it, and we had other family members diagnosed with Alzheimer’s who eventually passed away from it. Makes me wonder a bit about whether I will eventually get it or not.

At present, there is no cure for the disease. The best thing we can do is try to keep our brains and bodies active to try to slow down any potential risk.

Katie Kearney is a program manager with the Alzheimer’s Association, gave this advice:

“If you’re ever concerned, you should call your doctor and make an appointment, and you should never go to that appointment alone; you should always bring someone with you who knows you well and can advocate for you.”

“We’re seeing a lot more people being diagnosed sooner,” Kearney added. “That’s very important because that’s the only way you can have certain treatments that are only available in the earlier stages of the disease; and, it’s important to get an early and accurate diagnosis. So, instead of people thinking that it’s just regular aging, they’re able to explore more about what it is. And, diagnosis is a little easier to get now.”

One of the most recent studies for the Alzheimer’s Association was the U. S. Pointer Study, which was just released this past summer.

“There are things one can do to slow down mild cognitive decline,” Kearney explained. “They include lifestyle changes including exercise and more movement in things like yoga; and dietary changes. Also taking care of one’s cardiovascular system such as high blood pressure.”

Kearney’s recommendation: “Take care of your brain.”

James Logue Jr. is a regular contributor to the Times News.