Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating disease that affects millions of people. Many of them are undiagnosed as suffering from it. Although seeking a cure is important, ensuring quality care until a cure can be found is equally important.

I've been personally affected by the families of friends who've had to deal with Alzheimer's disease. One sufferer, the mother of one of my closest friends, received mediocre care at a nursing home for a few short years before passing away. The reason she was in the nursing home in the first place is because she was given the wrong medication and it caused brain damage. Proper education concerning the disease and the proper treatment would have prevented it all from happening.

That debacle is one of the reasons I'm putting both my son and a nephew through a 4-year nursing college. I've already put another nephew through a comprehensive caregiver's course. This kind of education will give each of them the knowledge and the training to ensure they'll be able to provide the kind of quality care that sufferers of Alzheimer's disease really need. The tuition isn't cheap, but I think every dollar spent is well worth it.

This Christmas season, you can show your support and help provide funding for quality care by purchasing a holiday gift from the Alzheimer's Foundation of America eStore. Their fine jewelry is quite inexpensive. They also have an inexpensive four-part DVD training program for families and professional caregivers. You can buy these gifts for yourself or show someone important in your life, possibly suffering from the disease, that you truly care about them.

If you prefer not to buy a gift, please find it in your heart to make a monetary donation of some kind. All proceeds benefit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, whose mission is to provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families — through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life.