MONTICELLO – Caregivers for victims of Alzheimer’s disease werehonored Thursday at Lawrence County Hospital as part of anationwide effort to bring attention to the debilitatingdisease.

Participants at the “Candles of Care” ceremony in Monticellounited in spirit with others across the United States during theNational Commemorative Candle Lighting, an annual event sponsoredby the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). This year marks acentury since the discovery of the disease, and November isdedicated as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.

“The purpose is to have a special ceremony to make thecaregivers feel special,” said Shirley Bullock, a member of thehospital’s Senior Life Unit and an event organizer. “We want torally around them to show them there are a lot of people who haveempathy for them.”

Mary Campbell, who came to the event to honor her best friend’smother, said Alzheimer’s is a particularly devastating diseasebecause it often strikes without notice. And while the victim maynot suffer horribly from its effects, families are left with itsruin.

“It’s the only disease that may hurt the family more than theperson,” she said. “It’s a silent disease.”

An incurable brain disorder, Alzheimer’s results in loss ofmemory and other intellectual functions. It presently affects anestimated five million Americans, including one in 10 ages 65 andolder. The number of cases is projected to triple by mid-century,especially with the rise of the baby boomers, according to theAFA.

The disease is rough on families, Bullock said, becausephysically the stricken appear perfectly normal. However, theyoften have little access to memories more than a few minutes past.They often fail to recognize family members and have few, if any,memories of their association with them.

Marguerite Rutledge said she was married to her husband for 50years and still failed to recognize the onset of the disease.

“It comes on so gradually I didn’t even know this was happeningin his life,” she said. “I finally realized something was wrongwhen he began to forget things about family members that he knewwell.”

There is little a loved one can do for the victim except providesupport and love, said Savannah Hill. She acknowledged it can bevery difficult and caregivers have to ignore outbursts of anger andfrustration from the ill, who cannot understand why they aretreated the way they are.

“You give them the best care and love you can. That’s all youcan do,” she said. “And remember the good times and cherish thespurts of memory they do get.”

Unfortunately, Bullock said, there are not many activeAlzheimer’s support groups for caregivers because they quicklybecome inactive. Caregivers rarely have time to attend meetings,she said.

However, Bullock said she hopes events like the candle lightingceremony will help caregivers meet others who share their anguishand they could develop of personal bond of mutual support.