ISHPEMING -- Folding the laundry may seem like a simple task to remember, but when you have Alzheimer’s, even routine activities like eating can be forgotten.

At the Marquette County Medical Care Facility, patients with Alzheimer’s disease are reminded of daily tasks by their advisors.

"Our goal is to keep them happy,” said Jackie Martin, Director of Nursing at the Marquette County Medical Care Facility.  “Keep them engaged doing as much as they can for themselves for as long as possible."

These routine activities keep depression at bay and help the patients feel a sense of purpose.  Alzheimer’s affects nearly four million Americans.  It's a degenerative disease that attacks the brain, begins gradually, and progresses at a variable rate. 

At the beginning, the patients can experience frustration because they have moments when they remember past events.  But as the disease progresses, recalling past events becomes more of a challenge. 

Patients like Frances Miller can recall very little about the onset of the disease.  When I asked Miller if she had any sense of when the disease started, she answered, “I don't think so.  It was, I think, mostly it was that I had things to remember and forgot them."

But for family members, the patient’s forgetfulness can be heartbreaking. 

Teresa Luetzow is an Administrator at the Marquette County Medical Care Facility.  Her mother suffered from Alzheimer’s.

"It was very hard, especially on my sister, who cared for her, but on all of us because she didn't know who we were anymore,” said Luetzow.  “But easier on her because she didn't realize that she wasn't remembering.”

Luetzow’s advice is to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease.  It's important to understand why the disease can make loved ones with Alzheimer’s act strangely.

Recent research has shown a link between certain genes and Alzheimer’s, but the origin of the disease is still unknown.