SECTION TWO
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1991
Families suffer pain of Alzheimer's
Jim Hitt greets his wife, Bernadine Hitt, twice a day in her room before going on regular outings through the hall or sometimes the garden.
Bernadine Hitt sat quietly in her wheelchair as her husband, Jim Hitt, held her hand and patiently fed her bites of beef stew and bread.
Her short, gray hair was combed back off her forehead and she stared straight
Her husband leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
"You're hungry today, aren't you, Bernadine?" he asked.
"Yes," she whispered.
Her eyes remained still, but a flicker of a smile appeared on her lips.
Bernadine Hitt, 76, is in the final stages of Alzheimer's disease. Since 1984, it gradually has stolen her memory and her life.
She has forgotten how to walk. She cannot feed herself. She cannot control her bladder. When her husband asks her a question, she answers him with a short phrase or a blank star. She lives in the city and a blank star. Lawrence President Manor, 1429 Kaiser Drive, a retirement center where she receives 24-hour nursing care.
Cause, cure unknown
Bernadine Hitt is one of about 700 Douglas County residents with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Kansas Department on Aging.
Alzheimer's disease is a fatal brain disorder that gradually destroys mental function.
'I can tell that she is gradually getting weaker. But we still enjoy each other. That is what's important.'
Jim Hitt
Alzheimer's Association. More than 100,000 people die of the disease annually, making it the fourth leading cause of death among adults in the United States. Neither its cause nor cure is known, and it is difficult to diagnose.
The disease affects 7 percent to 9 percent of the population over the age of 65.
Lawrence physician Laird Ingham Jr.
and his son, William
meet's partner,
updated. Ferguson KJ.
Because there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, Ingham said treatment mostly involved support to ease the burden on the patients and families.
"We mostly want to keep the patients from harming themselves and others," he said. "Basic activities like driving and cooking can be dangerous."
Twenty-two people crowded into a small room at the Lawrence Senior Center, 745 Vermont St., to attend the Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Group Margaret Happins, support services coordinator at Douglas County Senior Services, led the group in a discussion of their
Care-giver support
experiences.
One care-giver said she had to search for the mail every day because her friend with Alzheimer's disease hid it. Another woman said that her husband thought he still was earning a living by driving and eventually talked of loading and unloading.
Hopkins said the support group provided emotional release and educated some of the care-givers. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the second and last Tuesdays of each month and at 2 p.m. the first and third Fridays of each month.
"What the care-givers need is a place where they can talk about everything they are going through, from the anger, resentment and fury, to the guilt," Hopkins said.
Living alone
Jim Hitt said he assisted Hopkins in leading the group because he did not need training.
The Hits shared a duplex at the manor until 1870, when Berbardine Hell fitt and was murdered.
It was impossible for him to care for his mother, a provocative nurse, he said. Since that time, the nurse has been.
He visits his wife twice a day to feed her, talk to her and push her through the hallways or in the gardens in her wheelchair.
"I can tell that she is gradually getting weaker," he said. "But we still enjoy each other. That is what's important."
Jim takes time to visit Bernadine twice a day. Visits usually include strolling down the hallways of the manor and spending time together in a quiet room.
Although Bernadine can use her right arm, Alzheimer's disease can cause a memory lapse about simple tasks such as eating. Jim assists in feeding Bernadine at lunch and dinner.
Despite Bernadine's dramatic memory losses, Jim draws glimmers of recognition with affectionate actions.
Story by Shannon Peters Photos by Julie Jacobson
Living alone at his duplex at the Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, 1429 Kasold Drive, Jim watches television or plays the piano.
Jim's hands are always a comfort to Bernadine.