INSTITUTIONALIZED CARE: A nurse at Shandong Jinan Mental Health Center talks with an inmate. The public institution primarily serves elderly patients with mental problems, including sufferers of Alzheimer's disease (GUO XULEI)

Yang Jihong, who recently planned a program about Alzheimer's disease for China Central Television (CCTV), cherishes many memories of her father.

One of her fondest memories as a child was of her father riding a bicycle, carrying her mother, her two brothers and Yang to a river, where they swam and caught fish and shrimps.

Yang said she regrets that she can no longer share these sweet memories with her father, whose memory has been erased by Alzheimer's disease.

Yang's father has suffered from the disease for several years. He is now bed-ridden, unable to speak with or recognize anyone.

A common symptom of Alzheimer's disease is dementia. According to doctors, in the early stage of the disease, sufferers tend to forget recent events, and as the disease progresses, they may lose their long-term memory. Eventually, as their bodily functions deteriorate, patients will die.

The Chinese Committee for Alzheimer's Disease International estimated that in China, more than 10 million people suffer from the disease. The prevalence rate of Alzheimer's is more than 6.6 percent among seniors above 65 years old, and roughly 33 percent for those above 85. The mean survival time for patients is 5.9 years.

In recent years, patients of Alzheimer's disease accounted for more than half of seniors' visits to the No.7 People's Hospital in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, also known as Hangzhou Psychological Health Center, according to Zjnews.com.cn, a local news portal. Other major psychological problems troubling seniors are depression and empty-nest and retirement syndromes.

Family burden

Alzheimer's disease is widely known for bringing difficulties to both patients and their families. Yang said that her experience was traumatic.

Yang's father used to serve in the army. Yang said that he was kind and strong and kept good habits. After retirement, Yang's father often sat on the balcony at his home for hours, watching people playing football in a nearby soccer field. He was so engrossed in watching the sport that he seldom communicated with other family members. The family found him becoming ego-centric and estranged.

Yang's father suffered a stroke in 2004 at the age of 75. Days later, he recovered and had no problem walking and talking, to the relief of his family.

Yet the man became more picky and irritable. He sometimes embarrassed guests by fumbling the gifts they brought to his home, and he even once told Yang's mother to leave the family.

In 2008, Yang's father suffered another stroke and lost consciousness while watching TV, and didn't reach the hospital until 40 minutes later. After being in coma for two days, he woke up. He was able to speak but couldn't walk for another two months.

After the second stroke, Yang's father's hands and head began to shake involuntarily. He once got lost in a forest not far away from home. After he was brought back home, he told the family that he had seen his brother and sister-in-law, both of whom had passed away some 40 years ago. The man also repeatedly forgot the ages and names of his grandchildren.

Although Yang's father had changed, the family thought it was all part of getting old. It did not occur to them that he had Alzheimer's disease until a family friend mentioned the disease's symptoms.

Yang regrets not being aware of the symptoms earlier. She said that had she and her siblings known that, they wouldn't have been so upset at what they perceived to be their father's selfishness and would have given him more care.

In addition to causing emotional turbulence, Alzheimer's disease is also a physical and financial burden. In some cases, family members have to quit work, cut back on their hours, or take a less demanding job to care for their loved ones.

Yang's father has been hospitalized for two years, during which time the family accrued big medical and nursing bills.

Yang Guoyuan is an 82-year-old sufferer of Alzheimer's disease in Hangzhou. Although he once had a sharp mind and used to work in a prestigious research institute, he now cannot remember his home address.