I don’t know where I’ve been, but November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. This disease is of particular interest to me and my family. My grandfather died from this debilitating disease in 1984 and my mother is showing the initial signs of dementia.

Statistics indicate that 5.2 million Americans are afflicted with this disease and someone develops the disease every 71 seconds. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and it is projected the numbers of people suffering from the disease will double within the next ten years.

There is more and more research directed towards the study of the disease, but to date very little is really understood regarding Alzheimer’s as well as the other brain diseases manifesting themselves in dementia.

This disease has probably touched your family or the family of someone you know. People with the disease require almost constant care. As horrible as the disease is for the patient, it is also incredibly difficult for the family of the loved one as they struggle with dealing with the realities of caring for a loved family member whose needs frequently exceed their capabilities.

So, wear purple this month to show your support for continuing research to learn more about this horrible disease.