News out last week about St. Louis baseball great Stan Musial's acknowledgement of having Alzheimer's again brought attention to the far reach of the disease.
Musial is said to have been dealing with Alzheimer's for about five years, as he was diagnosed in his mid-80's and is currently 90 years old.
As some papers point out, Stan the Man's status of role model not only relates to his sporting and civic reputation, but now also includes his public handling of news regarding the disease known as the Silent Killer.
As the Alton Telegraph notes, "knowing that for several years, he's been dealing with Alzheimer's disease - without complaint or asking for pity — just makes it even clearer that Musial is indeed a hero."
We at Provision Living find Musial an inspiration, and an example, of just how much can be accomplished in life despite the diagnose of a memory impairment condition.
Musial's business representative, Dick Zitzmann, describes the former baseball great's day as engaged and determined.
"Stan comes into the office every day and cheerfully signs autographs,” Zitzmann said last week. “And he goes to lunch with me every day, and that keeps him active and happy.”
So much can be done in life with support and direction, even when a life-changing illness occurs.
Of course, Musial has been setting a great example most of his life, as si.com blogger Joe Posnanski described in a post a few months back.
"No, Musial just played hard and lived decently...he hit line drives right back at pitchers and then would go to the dugout after the game to make sure those pitchers were all right. He wasn’t perfect, of course, but he didn’t see the harm in letting people believe in something."
Believing in something is a big part of the process of addressing Alzheimer's as a condition of life. As Columbia University Professor Michael Friedman explains, the tendency to blame Alzheimer's for every problem in the life of one diagnosed with the disease gets in the way of understanding what is going on and doing something to really help.
"Better is to begin with interventions that do not rely on medications. Some formal psychotherapies can be helpful, such as "cognitive-behavior" and "interpersonal" therapy. Exercise, interesting activities, and social contact with people they enjoy can also be extremely helpful." wrote Friedman.
The first marching order for Provision Living's Forget-Me-Not™ Care Model involved focusing on the ability of the person, rather than the disability.
We always start by looking for the potential, in both cognitive and physical capabilities, rather than focusing on hinderances and restrictions.
No doubt, individuals with memory impairment conditions are dealing with a very real challenge, but these people are still adults with unique life stories, interests and styles. This recognition sets the table for dealing with the adversity of a disease such as Alzheimer's.
Perhaps Pete Hayes, of the Alton Telegraph sums it up best when considering Stan Musial's contribution to setting examples in life.
"I guess God chose the right man — The Man — to show how to deal with adversity."
(Image Courtesy of ABC15.com)
