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November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a time to get people talking about this awful disease that affects too many of our loved ones.

Only someone who has cared for a person with Alzheimer’s disease knows what it’s like to see how it impacts families. How things can be perfect one second and then change quickly to where they might not recognize a loved one.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America says that more than 6.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and that by 2060 that number is expected to balloon to more than 13.8 million people.

In hopes of raising awareness, we encourage you to know the early signs of Alzheimer’s. According to the National Institute on Aging, early signs of the disease include the following:

4Memory loss

4 Poor judgment leading to bad decisions

4 Loss of spontaneity and sense of initiative

4 Taking longer to complete normal daily tasks

4 Repeating questions

4 Trouble handling money and paying bills

4 Wandering and getting lost

4 Losing things or misplacing them in odd places

4 Mood and personality changes

4 Increased anxiety and/or aggression

We also encourage you to help, if you can. Easy ways to help include participating in a Walk to End Alzheimer’s, such as the one Vernon Woods Retirement Community hosts in LaGrange each year. The one here is next Saturday.

If able, you could also make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. Every little bit helps.

This is a terrible disease — one that hurts so many families and results in the loss of so many loved ones way too soon. Do your part to raise awareness and learn for the early signs of the disease.