As of the end of 2019 the number of Americans living with Alzheimer's is growing - and growing fast. An estimated 5.7 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease research estimates that every 65 seconds someone in America develops the disease. An alarming statistic not noted above is the fact that additionally thousands of those impacted by the disease will be family caregivers; children and spouses. Our Journey with Alzheimer's includes notes from my journal, stories, our experiences, and lessons we have learned over the 18 years of our journey. Alzheimer's support groups have been a tremendous help to me, as a caregiver. I have included Questions for Reflection or Discussion to help other caregivers process their experiences.

They can be used either for reflection by the individual reader or for discussion in a caregiver's group. The book is divided into three parts: Part 1 Life Before Alzheimer's, Part 2 The Seven Stages of Alzheimer's, Part 3 Afterwards. It is divided that way so that the busy Alzheimer's caregiver can focus on Part 2 where they will identify and find the most help for their journey. For the Purposes of this book we have used the Seven Stages of Alzheimer's Disease, developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg of New York University.