Caring For Parents With Alzheimer's Disease
By Boone Swann
Alzheimer's disease directly affects about four million people in the United States, though it affects many more of us indirectly. While we may not be suffering from the disease personally, many of us are in a position where it has become necessary to care for someone with Alzheimer's. To understand how best to cope with a parent diagnosed with Alzheimer's, you must first have a clear understanding of what it is and how it affects the people you love.
What is Alzheimer's disease?
Although there known genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the disease, the exact cause of Alzheimer's is unknown. It is a degenerative disease of the brain that results in progressive dementia. This often begins with progressive memory loss, followed by increasingly disorganized thought and speech patterns. Due to the continual deterioration of the brain, the disease progresses to a point in which the person becomes helpless and can no longer care for themselves. It eventually results in death.
Getting Prompt Medical Care
If you suspect Alzheimer's disease in a parent, it is important to get a prompt diagnosis. You'll want to find a family physician or internal medicine doctor familiar with the disease, preferably one specially trained in diseases of the elderly. Other doctors that may diagnosis Alzheimer's include neurologists and psychologists. While there is no cure, there are many medications available that can help treat and slow down the progression of the disease.
It is also important so set up a support system for yourself as soon as you learn of the diagnosis. Caring for someone with Alzheimer's is an overwhelming task. A good place to start is your local Alzheimer's Association. They are extremely helpful and can offer advice on caring for your parent and personal coping strategies. They can also direct you to local support groups and other helpful organizations. You may want to locate a place early on as well that can help with care if it becomes too much.
Finding an Appropriate Facility
Many times it becomes too much to care for a parent with Alzheimer's disease on your own. Often you cannot be there to consistently take care of their needs. If this should happen, be sure to find an appropriate facility adept at caring for patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. Research your options to find the most appropriate place for your loved one. An assisted living situation may best meet your needs. There are also nursing facilities and smaller licensed residential care homes. Though it is more costly, there are Alzheimer's disease dedicated facilities that treat Alzheimer's patients only and focus solely on their specific needs.
Remember, caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease is an emotionally stressful experience, and you'll need to remember to care for yourself also. Be sure to take time out for a break and to meet your needs so that you can be at your best to deal with your affected parent. There are many day facilities that can care for them when you need a break on a temporary basis. Also, become as knowledgeable about the disease, available treatments, and options as you possibly can so that you can be prepared for what is to come. This will also help in reducing the stress involved if you are prepared in what to expect and how to handle the progression of the disease and have also adequate coping strategies in place.
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Alzheimer's Disease - Common Risk Factors
Overview of some of the common risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease, compiled by the manager of a Lexington nursing home specializing in Alzheimer's care.
Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease: Changes in Daily Life
Getting diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease is one of the most life-changing and stressful things that can happen within the confines of a doctor's office. Most people believe that once you are diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it is an immediate death sentence, but that is not true. Alzheimer's comes in stages and while very advanced cases will require 24 hour medical attention and care from a trained nurse or helper, the early stages of the disease are quite manageable with only a few small changes in your life, which is why diagnosing alzheimer's early is key.
Alzheimer's Affects A Growing Segment Of Elderly Population
An updated review of the most common nervous system disorders in the United States found that 67 out of every 1,000 elderly Americans carries a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, a figure substantially higher than previous estimates. The findings were published in the January 30 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Do You Have Alzheimer's- or Normal Forgetfulness?
We all have moments when we forget something. When we experience occasional memory loss, how can we tell whether it's just normal forgetfulness due to aging, or if we are actually getting Alzheimer's disease? Here are some of the signs that will tell you when your memory loss is normal, and when you should get it checked out.
Learning How To Cope With Alzheimers Disease
Did you know that Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia? It is a condition that affects the neurological health of an afflicted patient and is a degenerative disease of the brain from which presently, there is no recovery with over 4 Million Americans suffering from this dementia. The illness is devastating and robs both the sufferer and also their family and friends of treasured moments. Alzheimers is equally one of the most emotionally draining and traumatic conditions for both sufferer and family alike.
Coping with Alzheimer's Disease
Many elderly people in nursing facilities have Alzheimer's disease. This disease causes the short term potion of the brain to shut down. Elderly people who have the disease may forget their children's names, but will remember events and people from their childhood.
Psychiatry for Physicians-Dementia - Dementia of Alzheimer's Type
Dementia is a part of the clinical presentation in Alzheimer's disease. It is a silent killer. A clear idea about it is important at least for early diagnosis.
Treating Alzheimer's Disease Naturally
Herbal medicine is one of the more controversial subjects in medical science today. Combine that with Alzheimer's, one of the most misunderstood and confusing illnesses and you have an explosive situation that has many concerned parties on both sides of the issue. There is no known cause for Alzheimer's and no known cure, either. Because of this huge gap in knowledge, treating alzheimer's naturally with herbal treatments has become a big market. With treatments making promises that conventional medicine can't.
New Gene Linked To Alzheimer's
Scientists have discovered a gene that may play an important role in the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The gene, called SORL1, was uncovered in a huge international study involving 6,000 people from varying ethnic groups. Dominican families that carry the gene are about three times more likely to develop Alzheimer's in old age than those who do not have the gene.
Alzheimer's Symptoms
Alzheimer's is a disease that affects the brain cells, it leads to dementia and a deterioration of the brain. This disease can be hard to diagnose, because it happens slowly and the symptoms are mild. The only symptom is a mild forgetfulness, for example, forgetting recent events, and a person name or being unable to solve simple problems.
