Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. It is also the only one of the top 10 for which there is NO PREVENTION and NO CURE. I applaud all efforts to discover a cure for this hideous disease, but in the meantime, where is the effort to define a way to end life with dignity before a supporting family is emotionally and financially bankrupt?

I do NOT have Alzheimer's, however, if I should get it, I would like to be able to define a measurable point in the irreversible progression after which I would be allowed to die with dignity and without the stigma of "suicide".

What if they discover a cure a month after I have ended my life? Oh, well. I missed it, but millions after me will be saved.

Yes, there are many legal and moral issues to be resolved, such as how to define the measurable point and how to make sure that relatives (or even the government) aren't making the decision against the person's will; but let's not just identify the problems, let's SOLVE them.

Let me decide when my life is no longer worth living because of an incurable and/or unaffordable disease.