Health Spotlight
Dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease Actor Hector Elizondo’s True Character Reaches Out to Families [ B y C assaundra B rooks ]
It’s a stealthy disease whose beginning-stage symptoms often go overlooked because so many people associate memory loss with senility. Alzheimer’s Disease, however, is a destructive condition for both its victims and their families. Award-winning actor Hector Elizondo may treat Tony Shalhoub's severe OCD on USA Network’s everpopular series Monk, but in the real world he has for the past year been teaming up with real doctors—in this case, Dr. Patricio Reyes, a neurologist at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix—to travel the country and educate people on the widespread effects of Alzheimer’s. He knows the effects all too well—his mother fell victim to the disease in the late sixties and early seventies, and several other family members have succumbed to it since that time. As his family struggled to contend with a disease they knew nothing about and the doctors could not properly diagnose, he learned the hard way the importance of being well informed. “Caregivers are experiencing incredible stress,” Elizondo says, “and the emotional and physical toll among the family group is incalculable.” Alzheimer’s patients eventually 64
North Valley APRIL | MAY 2009
require round-the-clock care; in part because of his Latin culture, Elizondo’s father took full responsibility for the caregiving. As is too common, his father’s own health deteriorated and he passed on first. Elizondo’s goal is to help people “not let one tragedy become two tragedies.” Both he and Dr. Reyes strongly emphasize early diagnosis as the best means to this end and discussed some of the signs to look for. Dr. Reyes says that, while the most common sign of Alzheimer’s is memory loss, becoming depressed without reason, getting lost, experiencing difficulty completing everyday tasks like balancing a checkbook, and sudden bursts of car accidents despite previous impeccable records are some other possible indicators. Seeking early professional help is the best way to battle the disease, and since other conditions can mimic symptoms of Alzheimer’s, it’s essential. Where Elizondo’s family could not avail itself of today’s resources, we can, and we should. Web sites such as caringforalz.org are great places to start, and there are educational programs available for caregivers and health care professionals. Elizondo likes to turn a well-known real estate phrase: “Information,
information, information!” Familiarizing yourself with the disease and discarding any stigmas and mythology surrounding it are key to coping, he says, as is knowing when to say, “Time-out. I’m tired. I’m burnt out.” Have a plan in place that rotates caregiving schedules, and remember that even in the late stages, Alzheimer’s patients still have feelings. Misdiagnoses—and missed diagnoses— damaging treatments, and misunderstanding and impatience on behalf of family and friends often complicate matters. Not only was Hector Elizondo’s mother misdiagnosed, she was institutionalized by an ignorant medical community. Before, she would have difficulty exiting a room and literally forgot how to eat. Within a few days of entering the state mental facility, she lost her speech completely. Dr. Reyes emphasizes that there are some complications with Alzheimer’s-specialized facilities, too, because of the mixing of patients at different stages of the disease, which can negatively affect those in the mild stages. A number of genes have been linked to Alzheimer’s, but Dr. Reyes eases some of the concerns of family members by noting that most of these are not inherited or predisposed to the development of the disease. For Elizondo, prevention is vital. “Keep yourself healthy,” he stresses. “Exercise. Eat well. Keep yourself mentally engaged. Don’t isolate yourself socially.” To help prevention on a larger scale, visit sites like caringforalz.org for ways you can get involved with awareness, education, research, and prevention. As for Elizondo’s newest role in Hollywood of raising awareness for and educating others about Alzheimer’s, a role other recognizable members of his industry (notably David Hyde Pierce of Frasier acclaim) have also accepted, he sees no downside. “I think it would be a privilege to be in a position where you might be able to help the collective good,” he says. Dr. Reyes agrees, saying, “Hector’s role here is extremely vital.” This is because of not only Elizondo’s standing in the film and television industry but also his position within the Latino community. With Elizondo nodding his agreement, the doctor also stresses the importance of reaching out to the various ethnic communities because of the differences in culture and the still-existing disparity in health care. “If you’re going to rise,” he says, “you cannot leave people behind.”