I chose to do my Multi Genre Project on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) because as sad as this disease can be, it is also very interesting, and mysterious. Dementia in general interests me, but Alzheimer's Disease isn't an illness with an accompanying dementia like in other cases. Alzheimer's is a dementia all its own, with no clear cause or cure. I've worked with patients that have this disease, and I have reason to believe that my grandmother is also suffering from Alzheimer's. She has not been officially diagnosed to my knowledge, but the signs are there. It kills me to see people who have been dumped in nursing homes and left there to die. I feel that with the right education and professional assistance, the patient as well as the family could be more functional in living with AD and communicating with a person with Alzheimer's Disease.

I know a little about working with people who have Alzheimer's, but I know nothing about the challenges these people and their families face on a daily basis. I can only imagine how hard it must be to watch a loved one go through this disease, and how hard it would be to be the primary caregiver of that person. I feel that through speech therapy, I could teach a person with Alzheimer's compensatory strategies that would help him/her be more functional in their communication and every day life. Also, I could educate the family and caregivers about strategies they can use when dealing with this person.

There is no cure for Alzheimer's Disease, but that doesn't mean that once a person is diagnosed with the disease that his/her life is over. Many techniques used with Alzheimer's patients focus on making their quality of life better. It isn't about prolonging their life or stopping the progression of the disease. For me, it's about helping them be as functional and independent as possible at the stage of the disease they're in. Education is also the key. The caregivers and family members may not have any idea how to care for a person with Alzheimer's or communicate with him/her. Improving the quality of life for the patient also means educating those people who are in contact with him/her.

I feel very strongly about helping the elderly population, many of which suffer from this or other types of dementia. This is what brought me to the topic of my Multi Genre Research Project. I wanted to find out what can be done to help people with Alzheimer's Disease live a better life, and be more functional in that life and in their communication. Speech therapy is just one service that can help people suffering from dementia. With the right education, the family and/or caregivers of Alzheimer's patients could know what types of services to seek out to help their loved one/patient with Alzheimer's Disease.