Are Alzheimer's patients happy?

Yes!! So many patients with Alzheimer’s are happy. Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects the brain and memory. Patients do keep emotions such as happiness, sadness, and anger. Most of the time, short-term memory is affected. People with Alzheimer’s may not remember what they ate for lunch or how to go to the bathroom. Some people will remember things and sometimes with much detail of their childhood, getting married, and how they felt in certain situations. It can be extremely rewarding to sit with a patient and look at old photographs or pictures of wedding dresses, children, and pets. This can help unlock memories and help families and friends have meaningful interactions. Many studies show that people with Alzheimer’s feel happy.

At times this can be hard on loved ones. They are sad or angry that their loved one is changing and cannot remember things, sometimes even their family, but they appear happy. Loved ones start the grieving process as a person loses their memory and becomes more dependent. Often caregivers will feel exhausted, upset, and sad that they are losing their loved one before their eyes. Caregivers and loved ones need to support just as much as a patient. It can be not easy at times for loved ones, but it is important to try and enjoy the happy moments with our loved ones. Every day is different and different emotions will come up. Both the patient and family will feel a variety of different emotions. There are many counselors on Better Help that can help throughout this process. To learn more about this disease, you can visit the Alzheimer’s Association's website: https://act.alz.org/site/.