{"id":14199,"date":"2025-12-31T22:13:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T05:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/la-plata-county-couple-maintains-optimism-while-adjusting-to-alzheimers-diagnosis\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:44:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:44:58","slug":"la-plata-county-couple-maintains-optimism-while-adjusting-to-alzheimers-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/la-plata-county-couple-maintains-optimism-while-adjusting-to-alzheimers-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"La Plata County couple maintains optimism while adjusting to Alzheimer\u2019s diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Al
Al Jason, 78, had his life changed when he struggled one day to put on his pajamas. He just couldn\u2019t physically figure out how to get his shirt on. He would soon be diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

La Plata County resident Al Jason, 78, has spent a lifetime caring for others. After his Alzheimer\u2019s disease diagnosis last year, he\u2019s learning how to take care of himself with the support of his son, his wife and the Durango Dementia Coalition.<\/p>\n

Al said he was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War through the 1960s and early \u201970s. He met his wife, Meme, in 1967 and they married two years later. Over the course of their marriage, they fostered 45 children \u2013 some for weeks at a time and others for several years.<\/p>\n

He retired from his 30-year career teaching high school special education in 2002 and traveled the world with Meme. They spent their summers roaming the countryside, parking their trailer beside rivers, lakes and creeks, Meme said. They spent winters traveling abroad, visiting China, Iceland, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and, most frequently, Indonesia.<\/p>\n

\"La
La Plata County resident Al Jason, 78, has spent a lifetime caring for others. After his Alzheimer\u2019s disease diagnosis last year, he\u2019s learning how to take care of himself with the support of his son, his wife and the Durango Dementia Coalition. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

In 2017, the couple moved to Benson, Arizona, a tiny town of about 5,000 residents outside Tucson.<\/p>\n

Al\u2019s life changed one evening last year when he forgot how to put on his pajamas.<\/p>\n

Meme said he kept trying to put his shirt on head-first through the neckline, effectively putting the shirt on upside down, and he couldn\u2019t figure out the proper way to wear it. They were baffled.<\/p>\n

\"Al
Al Jason, 78, signed a statement committing not to drive once his wife, Meme, and their son, Ben, decide he is no longer fit to do so. Al was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease last year. The couple moved from Benson, Ariz., to La Plata County after his diagnosis to be closer to their son. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Then, Al said, he felt the inclination to play the guitar \u2013 a life-long hobby. But when he moved to strum the instrument\u2019s strings, he couldn\u2019t recall how to play any of the 100-some songs he\u2019d learned over his lifetime.<\/p>\n

Something was wrong, the couple said, but they didn\u2019t know what. They called their doctor, who initially ruled out dementia.<\/p>\n

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What is Alzheimer\u2019s disease?<\/h4>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia, characterized by the decline of cognitive skills starting with memory and, as the disease progresses, affecting language, reasoning and social skills, according to the National Institute on Aging. People with Alzheimer\u2019s eventually lose the ability to perform simple daily tasks, including eating and walking, the NIA said. Symptoms typically begin to manifest in a patient\u2019s mid-60s. Alzheimer\u2019s is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, according to the NIA. Although no cure exists, medications and treatments do. Sheila Lee, co-facilitator of the Durango Dementia Caregiver Support Group, said dementia patients often require constant supervision after the disease develops past its early stages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cDementia doesn\u2019t come on just like, \u2018bang.\u2019 This is delirium,\u201d Meme said, recalling her doctor\u2019s early assessment of Al\u2019s health.<\/p>\n

Their doctor said Al should have an MRI to be sure, Meme said. He had one, and his neurologist determined he did indeed have dementia \u2013 Alzheimer\u2019s to be precise.<\/p>\n

After Al\u2019s diagnosis, the couple decided to move to La Plata County to be closer to their son, Ben, who had been trying to convince them to move for some time, she said.<\/p>\n

Adjusting to a new way of life<\/div>\n

\"Al
Al Jason, 78, was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease last year. He and his wife, Meme, are preparing for his expected memory loss. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Peering across her living room, which was lit up by Christmas lights and colorful holiday decorations, Meme reminisced about her old home in Benson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had this enormous yard and the cutest little gingerbread house that I had covered with Christmas stuff. And now this is my space,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Al said people would drive by their home in Benson and stop to admire their decorations.<\/p>\n

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Newsletter signup<\/h4>\n

To receive daily or breaking news alerts, visit www.durangoherald.com\/newsletter-signup\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Their home wasn\u2019t large or extravagant, but its decorations were the most popular, he said.<\/p>\n

Lights and ornaments aren\u2019t the only thing decorating the family\u2019s kitchen and living room. Small notes are posted here and there reminding Al to make sure the freezer door is closed, stove burners are off, and how to reboot a laptop when it freezes or stops working.<\/p>\n

\"Meme
Meme Jason posts notes around the house to remind her husband, Al Jason, 78, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease last year, of critical things he needs to remember. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Meme
Meme Jason posts notes around the house to remind her husband, Al Jason, 78, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease last year, of critical things he needs to remember. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIf TV won\u2019t go to Hulu programs (says we\u2019re working on it), first try unplugging both cords + turn back on,\u201d one note written in red and yellow marker read. \u201cIf that doesn\u2019t work, try putting in password.\u201d<\/p>\n

A poster near a door lists items to remember when leaving the house: cane, book, phone, wallet, walker, glasses, grocery lists, hearing aid, shopping bags, handicap placard \u2013 among others.<\/p>\n

Meme said she posted the reminders for Al, but she occasionally benefits from them herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in the mild stage as far as I know,\u201d Al said of his Alzheimer\u2019s. \u201cTo me, what it means is I forget stuff that\u2019s pretty minor, usually, and current. My long-term memory is still sharp as a tack.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Al
Al Jason, 78, was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease last year. He and his wife, Meme, are preparing for his expected memory loss. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Music and memories<\/div>\n

Al enjoys reading and word games, playing guitar and thinking about his children who he said he and Meme raised with love. He is forgetful sometimes, but he remembers his kids, recognizes his wife and hasn\u2019t forgotten anything major, he said.<\/p>\n

In educating themselves about how his Alzheimer\u2019s could progress, Al and Meme read a book written by a man with Alzheimer\u2019s. The book was \u201cvery lucid,\u201d Al said, and its author wrote about how he\u2019d sometimes fail to remember who his wife was.<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019s on medication, and from the research he\u2019s done and the experts he\u2019s spoken with, it could be years before his mind seriously deteriorates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be years, longer \u2013 I mean, maybe a decade \u2013 before I start really going bonkers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Al
Al Jason, 78, was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease last year and writes down all the songs he knows in order to remember the words and chords. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

He said he hasn\u2019t shied away from telling people about his diagnosis. He\u2019s been met with disbelief, but he insists.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody would say, \u2018Oh, you don\u2019t have this.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Oh, but I do,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m the only one in my own head. The process that I\u2019m going through, I share with everybody and let them know, \u2018Hey, take my word for it. This happened.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he has begun recording his guitar sessions to preserve his music and to remind himself how to play. Not trusting his memory, he has a notebook full of lyrics and tablatures he reads as he plays. Meme finds the songs online and handwrites them into his notebook.<\/p>\n

He has recorded about 50 songs out of 100 or more so far, Meme said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t attempt to remember the lyrics,\u201d Al said.<\/p>\n

\"Meme
Meme Jason listens to her husband Al Jason, 78, play his guitar on Dec. 3, at their La Plata County home. Al was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease last year and has had to write down all the songs he knows in order to remember the words and chords. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

He said he learned how to play the guitar by ear when he was young, and if he doesn\u2019t like the way a song is going, it\u2019s easy to transpose the melody into a different key. He\u2019ll fiddle with it until he finds something he likes.<\/p>\n

Some of his favorite songs to play are \u201cAbilene\u201d by George Hamilton IV and \u201cAngel From Montgomery\u201d by John Prine, Meme said.<\/p>\n

She said she and Al also journal regularly. They enjoy going to the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio, and as they\u2019re eating lunch, they will jot down memories of their adventures together.<\/p>\n

She said if Al does forget something, she hopes reading his own recount of it \u2013 or Meme reading it to him \u2013 could trigger his memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I\u2019m writing so I have something that verifies that I did all this crap,\u201d Al said, adding he and Meme have journaled all their lives.<\/p>\n

A well-lived life with no regrets<\/div>\n

The couple receives a $1,000 stipend from the Durango Dementia Coalition. They attend a Memory Cafe at St. Mark\u2019s Episcopal Church in Durango and a support group for people recently diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers.<\/p>\n

Meme said the coalition is a great place to connect with resources, but transportation has been a consistent hurdle.<\/p>\n

For now, Al can still drive, although he has set his own boundaries \u2013 he won\u2019t drive with kids or grandkids in the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs somebody going to tell me when I can\u2019t do it anymore? I hope so,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

On Sept. 22, he signed a statement committing not to drive when Meme and his son decide he is no longer fit to do so.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Ben and Meme both decide it is no longer safe for me to drive, I agree to give up driving,\u201d the note reads.<\/p>\n

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