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Alzheimer's and related conditions

Alzheimer's disease and related conditions gradually alter memory, orientation and language. Recent memories fade first, while older memories and emotions often stay present for much longer.

A person concerned may forget what has just been said while remembering their childhood very well, and feel an accurate emotion without being able to name its cause. Personality and emotional bonds remain, even when words are missing.

A person may forget within a few minutes the visit they have just received, yet keep all day the pleasant feeling it left, or, on the contrary, the worry of a tense exchange. The fact disappears, the emotion remains.

This is why repeating the same answer ten times in a calm tone is not at all pointless: even when the information does not stick, the reassuring atmosphere does settle in. Correcting curtly, by contrast, leaves a sense of unease whose cause will be forgotten but not the feeling.

What fades, what remains

The condition does not affect everything at the same time. Immediate memory, orientation in time and space and word-finding are often affected early, while familiar gestures, music, long-standing automatisms and sensitivity to emotions hold out longer. Building on what remains, rather than pointing out what is missing, changes the whole relationship.

What helps

  • speaking simply, one idea at a time, without stringing questions together,
  • keeping stable reference points (places, times, familiar faces),
  • avoiding correcting or putting memory to the test,
  • favouring calm, contact and familiar activities.
Key figures

Alzheimer's and related conditions in a few figures

  • ~ 6,9 millionAmericans aged 65 and older live with Alzheimer's disease in 2024.Source: Alzheimer's Association US.
  • ~ 900 000people in the UK live with dementia, two thirds of whom have Alzheimer's.Source: Alzheimer's Society UK.
  • ~ 2 in 3people with Alzheimer's are women.Source: Alzheimer's Association US.
  • ~ 1 in 9people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's dementia in the US.Source: Alzheimer's Association US.
  • ~ 11 millionunpaid caregivers in the US provide care to people with Alzheimer's and other dementias.Source: Alzheimer's Association US.

Possible accommodations

Depending on age and progression, support draws on arrangements and aids that exist in France:

  • At work: for early-onset forms (before 65), RQTH (official recognition of disability status, in France) via the MDPH (the local disability office, in France), adjustment or lightening of the role, support towards a gentle transition.
  • At home: the personalised autonomy allowance (APA, a French benefit supporting daily-living needs), human assistance, day care, support for family carers.
  • In daily life: visual and time-based reference points, securing the home, stable routines, familiar objects and photos.

Explanations based on your profile

Choose a profile to read the matching explanation.

Alzheimer's and related conditions explained to a Child

0–12 years old

It's as if a person's memory gradually becomes blurry. At first, they forget little things. Then, bit by bit, they have trouble remembering where they are, the faces they know, or how to do things they used to do every day.

You may notice:

  • They ask the same question several times, because they forget they just asked it
  • They can no longer find the words to say what they mean
  • They may be confused or worried, because they don't recognize where they are
  • Their mood changes: they can be sad, angry, or scared

But this is very important to know: this person is still themselves, with their heart and their love. They just need more help, patience, and gentleness.

Real cases: Alzheimer's and related conditions

use case

Older adult with early-stage Alzheimer's, 74 years old
Adult child → Doctor, pharmacist, shopkeeper
The other person understands the situation right away and adapts how they communicate, without the person having to explain what they can no longer put into words.

QR location: Laminated card in their wallet

Older adult with Alzheimer's, 78 years old
Caregiving partner → Passerby, police
In case of wandering or disorientation, someone can access the emergency information and the family's contacts.

QR location: Label sewn into the coat

See the case in detail
Older adult with early dementia, 81 years old
Adult child → Emergency services, on-call doctor
Care staff reach the key information (treatments, contacts) without waiting for the family.

QR location: Card in their wallet, QR on their phone

Help others understand

Living with Alzheimer's and related conditions: the context set, the conversation freed.

You write your profile just once. At every new school year, every new team, every new caregiver, you share the QR code, no need to start over from scratch. The conversation continues, it just begins from a different point.

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