According to the Alzheimer's Association, it is estimated at 35.6 million the number of patients in the world at this time.
Monica spent her last year of life bedridden orthopedic, being absolutely dependent on aid and assistance of her husband.
After 5 years of diagnosis, the food she received was previously processed and pureed due to her difficulties in chewing.
The disease brings with it a number of effects on the patient's caregivers, ranging from physical problems and stress to emotional conflicts, typical of someone who is gradually losing his companion all his life.
"I learned to be patient by caring and feeding her. Each meal is an hour by the clock."
They had been married 64 years ago, and since then, living in the same apartment in the neighborhood of Almagro, in the city of Buenos Aires.
Alzheimer's disease is considered as a possible future epidemic because it mainly affects older people, and as life expectancy is annually increasing in global population, the disease will become increasingly common.
Perhaps the main characteristic of the disease is cognitive deterioration with the passage of time. Alzheimer's disease is characterized as a degenerative disease, and patients often live to 7 years after diagnosis.
Marcos wakes up 7 o'clock every day. "For me sunday and monday and tuesday is all the same"
According to the study of the newspaper El Mundo, 52% of caregivers are over 60 years.
The disease generates an assistance dependence, which gradually increases because of the deterioration in the transmission of information between the brain and body.
"It absorves you all day. In the morning I wake up, I give her breakfast and change her diaper. Then accompany the nurses to make the healing of bedsores. Then give her lunch, in the afternoon change the diaper and give a snack, and finally in the evening I give her dinner and I change the diaper again. You spend all day, practically. "
Receiving cuddles and caresses helps her in connecting, at least for seconds. Physical contact with Alzheimer's patients is as important as other relevant medical care.
Although at times grumbled of the time devoted to her care, Marcos did not see any other possibility. "Tell me where she is going to be better than here. I treat her like a princess, here she has everything."
According to a study by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, caregivers of patients dedicate an average of 18 hours to the patient.
Monica died on July the 13th, in their apartment, literally in Marcos's hands, when he was going to change her diaper.
Nowadays, he's facing probably the hardest moment in his life, not only because of loneliness and living without his wife, but also because he has to find a new life at age 89.
