About Alzheimers

MIKE SELVON asked:


It is hard when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It is a devastating condition that takes its toll on the loved one and the family members. The slowly progressing disease can wreak havoc on everyone’s lives it touches.

This is the constant thought that at some point Alzheimer care will have to be taken over by the family or the loved one placed into a long-term care facility. But before you can begin considering Alzheimer care you first have to understand the disease so that you will know what to expect later down the road.

It can be a difficult journey and the answers are never easy but there are some common questions about this disease. Alzheimer care begins immediately for the patient and you probably need some answers. This article will cover the basics of Alzheimer’s disease and also help you understand how Alzheimer care is so important to both you and your loved one.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that afflicts over twenty-four million people around the world. It is terminal. The person suffers from a form of dementia that increases during the span of the disease.

The person begins to have short-term memory loss followed by mood swings and anger at their condition. It then progresses to long-term memory loss and the patient begins to lose minor and then major control over their body.

It is a devastating disease to have strike anyone. At present there is no cure, only medicines designed to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. There must be Alzheimer care from loved ones and trained professionals in order for the patient to live a comfortable life as the disease progresses.

What type of Alzheimer care and medications are available right now?

Right now there are four different types of medications available for Alzheimer patients as well as psychotherapy treatments for the disease. These medications are used to treat the different forms of dementia that are associated with the disease.

The medications are: Aricept, Razadyne, Exelon and Exelon Patch. As far as care goes outside the realm of drugs, it is important to assess the patient’s physical coordination and have occupational and physical therapists working with the patients to help improve motor functions and capabilities for caring for themselves.

My parent has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, what type of Alzheimer care can I begin with?

Alzheimer care begins with understanding the condition thoroughly. You will need to speak with healthcare professionals to determine the stage at which your loved one is currently at and learn all you possibly can about the disease. You will then need to make the determination on how long your parent is going to be able to care for themselves on their own in their own home.

It is important to the patient to remain independent as long as possible without risk to their well-being. After they are no longer able to safely care for themselves it will come down to a decision on whether or not to place them in a long-term care facility or bring them into your own home in order to provide care. It is not an easy decision to make.

Are there Alzheimer care support groups?

Thankfully there are Alzheimer care support groups that can be there for you during difficult times and can provide bits of wisdom and advice for dealing with this devastating disease. One group is the Alzheimer’s Association. They have links to support groups in every state so you can find one closest to you.

Ramon

sharon asked:


When I studied 20 years ago, Alzheimers was a brain disease which was one cause of dementia and could have an early onset. Now the terms seem to be synonyms. Please answer only if you are a professional and work in health care.

Tina

Remy Jirek asked:


Recent science has found that their may be a link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum; a discovery found by an Alzheimer’s foundation. Though the cause of Alzheimer’s remains unknown, there are many theories that attempt to find the cause. One of the theories states that using products that contain or are contained in aluminum may cause Alzheimer’s. Additionally, scientists believe that by avoiding aluminum products, you can aid in preventing Alzheimer’s. If you are taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient, here is what you should do.
Diet
First, monitor their dietary habits thoroughly. You are going to want to establish a good Alzheimer’s diet for the patient. Make sure that your patient does not use or intake aluminum products. Always read the nutrition facts listed on every food product. Additionally, make sure that they intake low amounts of fat and low amounts of cholesterol. This will aid in slowing the progress of the disease. Finally, research nutritional supplements, such as turmeric or glyconutrients, as the Alzheimer’s foundation has found that these supplements will also aid in slowing the progress of Alzheimer’s.
Activity
Next, try to find an activity that the Alzheimer’s patient will enjoy. Good activities are those that are simple in nature but rewarding. Games, cooking, gardening… these are the types of activities you will want to seek out. Additionally, always give positive encouragement to an Alzheimer’s patient.
Alzheimer’s statistics show that the better patients feel about themselves, the more they will try to combat their disease. Keep in mind that they may not want to participate for very long periods of time and, as such, you will want to be patient with them and allow them to stop when they choose to (though you should give kind encouragement to get them to try to do more).
Responsibility
An Alzheimer’s caregiver is absolutely responsible for the lives of their patients. Because caregivers are the only people giving constant attention to these patients, they must make sure that they are taking their medication. Because there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, taking any treatments available is the only way to stop the disease from building and becoming worse. Remember, treatment is the only weapon we as people have against this disease. Use this weapon to its fullest potential, as there are few other things you can do.
Though nobody knows why this brain disease occurs in people, science does know that you should do what you can to not be a victim. Although aluminum may not be a cause of Alzheimer’s, it is probably a good idea to avoid it as much as possible. This is not a disease that you, or your loved ones, will want to get. Try to do anything and everything you can to avoid it, even if it seems a little drastic or crazy. This article on Alzheimer’s should be very beneficial to you and your loved ones in combating this disease, once and for all. Do not wait, start prevention now!

Christian

lilshortkristin asked:


My friend is getting married this summer and though she would have really liked to dance with her father at her wedding she can’t because he is in the advanced stages of Alzeimer’s. She really loves him and wants to involve him in the wedding. Any ideas?

Joy

meices6903 asked:


I know that it vaporizes at a relatively low heat and those vapors can’t be good but any conclusive link to Alzheimers?

Allan

smcdevitt2001 asked:


I know forgetfullness, but what are the other symptoms?

Melanie

Maury Povich asked:


He keeps on forgetting to! Something I just feel like tattooing the times he needs to take his meds across his face so that way he is bound to remember. It’s not like if the meds do him any good he can’t even remember my own name. He gets me so angry sometimes!

Judith

Kenny L asked:


My son was visiting his grandfather in a home for Alzheimer’s patients and he noticed that all the patients there had blue eyes. Is there any connection or explanation? Thank you.

Erica

Frank C. Adams asked:


There are scientific advancements that look promising for preventing and even reversing the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive deterioration of the brain, first described in 1907 by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915). It is the most common form of dementing, or mind-depriving, illness, affecting cells in an area of the brain important to memory. Alzheimer’s disease or Alzheimer’s syndrome most commonly strikes elderly adults, but it has also been known to afflict people in their late twenties. People with Alzheimer’s experience difficulties communicating, learning, thinking and reasoning – problems severe enough to have an impact on an individual’s work, social activities and family life. Alzheimer’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the number of people affected. It is emerging to potentially become the largest medical problem facing the elderly in the 21st century. Currently there are as many as 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. A new person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every 71 seconds, and because people are living longer Alzheimer’s disease has become a serious health problem that governments must face; this disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in America alone. Alzheimer’s disease is becoming tragically common. Over 12 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The direct and indirect cost of caring for Alzheimer’s victims in the United States alone is more than $100 billion a year. With these startling statistics, can anything be done to save our brains from this horrific deterioration? Will more seniors be able to avoid falling victim to Alzheimer’s as the elderly population increases? Are we finally getting close to a cure? The conventional medical approach is limited to pain relief and controlling some of the related symptoms by using expensive prescription drugs riddled with side effects. But in reality, extensive research reveals that proliferation of Alzheimer’s disease in society is a direct manifestation of our changed lifestyles. When people around the world experience similar problems, it’s not a random incident but a methodical process spreading across cultures and borders. You see, our lifestyle choices have gotten us into this mess. We need to make the right choices to get us out. The fact is the exponential increase in Alzheimer’s disease is really the result of the way our lives have changed. The bad news is we are used to living a certain way now and it isn’t easy to change. The good news is that change is in our power and with it better health. One way to help lower the risk of dementia and one that you can have responsibility for is to change your habits of life, eat healthily and take regular exercise. Currently, researchers studying Alzheimer’s patients have noticed that those who stay healthy and take specific nutritional supplements have slowed down and even reversed the decline. Yes, Alzheimer’s is NOT an incurable condition. Everyday now more and more people are finding that they can start to reverse their Alzheimer’s.

Jack

Garland Choate asked:


Personality change is an Alzheimer’s symptom that presents itself as the gradual development of mood swings, distrust, stubbornness and eventual withdrawal from the patient’s usual social circle. Depression is also a coexistent Alzheimer’s symptom alongside with growing restlessness. In its severe form, the Alzheimer’s symptom further develops into anxiety, aggressiveness and inappropriate behavior.

Old age is not a reason to stop learning new things. You can learn a variety of things, dancing, cooking, singing, a new language, crafts, the arts. There are so many things to choose from. Don the things that you have not done before, things that you never thought, you’ll be doing. Your age should not be hindrance to the things that you want to do.

One could trace back the history of Alzheimer’s disease from a presentation and lecture made by a German psychiatrist in 1906 during 37th Meeting of Southwest German Psychiatrists held in Tabingen.

What is known for a fact is that individuals begin to become susceptible to the disease at the age of 65 and above. It is also known that Alzheimers disease attack the brain and causes an abnormality there, which in turn causes the loss of normal functions in the body.

Age is known as a risk cause of Alzheimer’s disease. As a person ages, the likelihood that he or she will develop Alzheimer’s also increases. The average age of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s is about 80 years old. Gender is also seen as involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but studies for this may still be inconclusive. The reason as to why the risk is seen to be greater in women is that they tend to live longer than the men.

Alzheimers will rob one of the ability to do the things that used to come second nature to them. It is as if the individual with Alzheimers can no longer remember or are familiar with tasks or actions that used to be part of their everyday routine. Watch out for this telltale sale that is quite an indicator included in the early signs of Alzheimers disease.

Some states have nursing homes and reputable home care facilities to treat the patient. There are numbers in the directory as well as in the Internet that people can inquire.

The Alzheimer’s symptom will further lead to degeneration of a person’s ability to remember, reason, learn and even imagine. The Alzheimer’s symptom of forgetfulness can include the names of family members being forgotten as well as familiar everyday objects such as a comb and mirror.

Carla