As the population ages and life expectancies rise higher and higher diseases that affect seniors are on the rise. Nationally over 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Over 10,000 Vermonters live with Alzheimer’s each day. Research has not yet found what causes this disease that robs people and families of cherished memories.

Across Vermont the Alzheimer’s Association is holding a series of Memory Walks to honor those who live with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, and remember those lost.

Unlike other walks such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life where cancer survivors lead the rallying call for research and treatment options those with Alzheimer’s by and large remain silent. According to Sherri Harden, Program Director for the Alzheimer’s Association of Vermont and New Hampshire,"there is still a stigma against Alzheimer’s, for years Alzheimer’s was associated with mental illness.”

Like with any disease early detection and treatment is needed to slow the progression. The biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s is age. One in ten people aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s, that climbs to 50% in those aged 85 and older. However, a widely untalked about form of Alzheimer’s actually affects people in their 30’s and 40’s.

The Alzheimer’s Association has put together 10 warning signs that people should be aware of. Some warning signs include: memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks like preparing a meal, problems with language, disoriented about the time or place, poor judgement such as going out in the snow in summer clothes, misplacing things, problems with abstract things, changes in mood or behavior, change in personality (confused or fearful), and a loss of initiative such as over-sleeping or watching TV for hours.

Harden says the biggest perception about people with Alzheimer’s is that when someone is “diagnosed with Alzheimer’s they drop out of the human race, sub-human, marginalized.” There are support groups that can help Alzheimer’s patients, their families, and caregivers deal with living with Alzheimer’s and the depression and denial that can go with it. According to Harden, “denial is a coping mechanism, that allows the person to accept the diagnosis in pieces which is not a bad thing.”

Alzheimer’s is not talked about openly in our society. People living with Alzheimer’s and their families don’t announce the diagnoses and often time Alzheimer’s patients are kept out of sight. People with Alzheimer’s need an advocate. According to Harden patients reach “ a point they can no longer advocate for themselves so they need someone to do it for them.”

Typically Alzheimer’s patients live 10 years after diagnosis. Alzheimer’s patients die due to complications of the disease where the body forgets how to circulate blood, swallow, blink, and breath. Alzheimer’s is a medical condition that robs people of their memories and personalities. For the families and caregivers it is traumatic and for the person living with Alzheimer’s it can be confusing, frustrating, and scary. Fighting the myths and finding information and support can help families as they maneuver a winding and difficult path. Take a walk down Memory Lane and take a stand against Alzheimer’s.

Sarah Lemnah writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.