Granville Library presents Alzheimer’s program

GRANVILLE — There’s no cure, and it doesn’t discriminate. It’s the No. 6 cause of death in the United States, and we still know very little about it. “It” is Alzheimer’s, and one of three seniors who die in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.

“There are many, many more people suffering from it than we originally thought, probably because people are willing to talk about it and be open about it,” Illinois Valley Alzheimer Group co-founder Peg Gonet said. “It’s a very debilitating disease for the whole family.”

Gonet will be presenting a program on Alzheimer’s and its impact at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, at the Granville branch of the Putnam County Library. Gonet’s husband, Vernon, suffered from the effects of Alzheimer’s for many years before his death in 2006.

“I know what we went through, and I want to educate people about the disease and offer the services we have available for the family and friends of the Alzheimer’s patients,” Gonet said. “Vernon had an early onset, and we didn’t realize for many, many years. Looking back, we can tell that he was starting much earlier than we thought.”

The symptom that many people look for is a bad memory, but Gonet said that’s not necessarily an accurate indication.

“Things are very, very different between Alzheimer’s and just being a little bit forgetful as you get older,” she said. “A lot of times, it’s forgetting nouns. Some get a shuffling gait. Then there are people who are losing things. There is a difference between losing your keys and when you see keys and don’t know what they belong to.”

While forgetfulness can be an indicator, it can sometimes be a symptom of another, more mundane problem such as malnutrition, dehydration or even a urinary tract infection.

Up until two years ago, the Illinois Valley Alzheimer Group was a chapter of the Illinois Alzheimer’s Association, but frustration with the organization led to the split.

“We were giving all the money we raised to the Central Illinois organization, and we weren’t getting any programs or any help back,” Gonet said. “We now cover LaSalle, Putnam and Bureau counties, and all the money stays here for services and programs.”