Alzheimer's And Walking

According to data available from the Alzheimer’s foundation every 67 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease and currently at least 5.3 million people are affected by the disease. The numbers are expected to grow as 75 million baby boomers transition into retirement by 2030. Alzheimer disease is a brain disorder that causes decay and dis- function of neurons resulting in memory loss, speech and language impairment. This can also extend to challenges in physical and social behavioural. The brain, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem is the primary target of Alzheimer’s disease. At three pounds the brain has a network of arteries and a folded cortex that is responsible for memory and movement. These functions are facilitated by a network of neurons. Alzheimer’s disease interferes with these neurons by disrupting electrical transfer; Death of brain cells is inevitable as the cortex shrinks becoming incapable of developing thoughts and memory. The Alzheimer’s patient experiences an altered personality with family members becoming strangers.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be described as a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive physical and cognitive decline.1 AD which is mostly seen in the elderly, is the most common form of dementia. Dementia can be described as the loss of the brain’s ability to function in multiple ways in a person who is awake or alert. Dementia includes memory loss and also affects a person’s ability to speak, read, write, listen, and complete certain tasks.1 Dementia can have a tremendous impact on one’s behavior and emotions and can range from being a mild case to being totally disabling. There are several types of dementia with AD being the most common, which primarily affects the elderly and is usually irreversible and non-curable. Although not all dementia is AD, it does however account for up to fifty to seventy-five percent of dementia cases.2 Over 5 million Americans have AD, and it is estimated that by the year 2050 this number will have increased up to 14 million.2 One out of every ten people, ages sixty-five years and older develops AD and some may even develop the disease in their forty’s and fifty’s.2

Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior (Internet). It is a degenerative disease affecting nerve cells of the frontal and temporal lobes of the cerebrum of the brain. The disease is the major cause of presenile dementia (i.e., the loss of mental faculties not associated with advanced age) and is thought to be the largest single cause of senile dementia as well (Britannica, 306). It causes the connections between cells to become ineffective and the cells themselves to shutdown and eventually die (Davies, 1). Alzheimer’s is a progressive, irreversible, fatal neurologic disorder that affects an estimated 4 million American adults. It is estimated by 2040,approximately 14 million Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Approximately 9% of the population older than 55 years and 20% of those older than 85 years have Alzheimer’s Disease. The duration of AD averages 2 to 10 years but can be up to 20 years. By 1992, Alzheimer’s Disease was the fourth leading cause of death among adults (more than 100,000 American deaths per year). It is projected that the number of people with Alzheimer’s Disease will triple in the next 50 years. This epidemic of dementia is not confined to sex, race, social, or economic class. The public knows this disorder as “senility”, although the term Alzheimer’s is becoming more common (Rosdahl, 1356). According to a quote from

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. “Its onset is generally insidious, with gradual deterioration of cognitive function, eventually resulting death.” (Falvo, D. 2009, pg. 226). Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia among people age 65 and older. “Nearly 70 percentages of all dementias are Alzheimer’s, and over 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s.”(www.alz.org). This disease is not just a disease that happens to older people, but there is a small percentage that can also affect those in their 30s.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the gradual mental depreciation that can happen in middle to old age because of degeneration or damage to the brain.

Alzheimer disease differs from normal aging. It is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function which gets worse over time. The disease may cause a person to become lost in familiar places, misplace

Alzheimer is the most common type of dementia that refers to problems with memory, thinking and behavior typically among people aged 65 and older (Alzheimer’s Association.) Dementia is caused by damage to nerve sells in the brain and as a result, neurons can no long function normally and may die. In Alzheimer’s disease, the impairment of the neurons eventually damages one’s ability to carry out basic everyday activities such as walking and eating. According to the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, physical exercise can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 50 percent. After developing cognitive problems, regular exercise will help to slow further deterioration. For example, someone that has developed symptoms should take the stairs instead of the elevators as a way to add more movement into their day. It is imperative to acknowledge symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease sooner rather than later so that a health provider can recommend proper treatment options. These symptoms develop over time and gradually worsen over the years.

Marlene Targ Brill uses, in her book about Alzheimer's, Nancy Reagan's quote to describe this awful neurodegenerative disease. "Alzheimer's disease is a cruel disease that steals lives. It's hard to know what to expect. The years of exchanging memories of old age are gone. It's long, long good-bye" (Nancy Reagan, former First Lady, pg 10). Alzheimer's symptoms are most often confused with normal symptoms of aging, although they have a greater effect on daily life. Some of the symptoms are: poor judgment and decision making, inability to manage budget, losing track of the date or the season, difficulty having a conversation and misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them.

Alzheimer's is a disease that robs people of their memory. At first, people have a hard time remembering recent events, though they might easily recall things that happened years ago. As time goes on, other symptoms can appear, including: trouble focusing, a hard time doing ordinary activities, feeling confused or frustrated, especially at night, dramatic mood swings -- outbursts of anger, anxiety, and depression, feeling disoriented and getting lost easily, physical problems, such as an odd walk or poor coordination, trouble communicating. People with Alzheimer's might forget their loved ones. They might forget how to dress themselves, feed themselves, and use the toilet. People who get Alzheimer's disease are usually older, but the disease isn’t a normal part of aging.

Alzheimer’s disease is a very slowly progressive disease that occurs inside the brain in which is characterized by damage of memory. Also this type of disease can lead into interruption in language, problem solving, planning and perception. The chance of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease increases enormously after the age of 70 (Crystal, 2009). Also people who are over the age of 85 have over a 50 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This type of disease is not at all normal in the aging process and is also not something that happens out of no where in a person’s life.

Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's Disease. It is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is the decline of mental ability severe enough to affect daily living. Some symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease include memory loss, changes in problem solving, confusion with time and place, deficits in identifying familiar objects and people, decreased judgement, and changes in mood and personality. Symptoms develop with time and gradually worsen as the disease spreads. It begins as mild forgetfulness and progresses to full on brain impairment. The brain changes chemically and structurally and destroys one’s ability

What is Alzheimer’s disease? It is a chronic brain disease that causes dementia, “a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life” (1). Dementia is affecting over 40 million people worldwide (2). Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common degenerative neurological disease, so it affects many of the body’s activities. For example, it has an impact on the patient’s breathing, talking, balance, movement, and heart function. One of the most characteristics of AD is that it begins slowly and gets worse over time.

Initial signs and symptoms are rather mild during the early stages. It might not be noticeable at first. They are not exactly the same for everyone, but most people have difficulty learning new things and recalling pieces of new information. As it progresses, victims of the disease forget more and more information. They struggle to communicate and travel as they’re increasingly unable to remember important information needed for these functions. In the latest stages, Alzheimer’s patients lose even more of their memory, which makes it hard for them to perform even the most basic functions, such as walking and eating. They have difficulty sleeping, they get agitated, they hallucinate, and they have to be helped in almost any and all endeavors, even to the most basic of functions. (this paragraph all from https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20007/types_of_dementia/2/alzheimers_disease/2)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is part of a group of diseases called dementia and it is the most typical type of dementia, making up about 60-80% of total dementia types. This disease is becoming more and more prevalent as people’s lifespan increases, because of the ever-advancing medical field. Additionally, the total number of Alzheimer’s cases is expected to double over the next 20 years. Most generally, it affects people over the age of 65, but can affect people as young as the age of 40 and is the 5th leading cause of death for the elderly. Once diagnosed, a patient normally lives 1 to 10 years and in some unusual cases, up to 20 years.

Alzheimer 's disease is an irreversible, abnormal, progressive deterioration of the brain that causes victims to steadily lose the ability to remember, reason, and comprehend (Wardlaw 719). At first it may start with things such as: forgetting important dates or events, repeating oneself multiple times, or needing reminders more often than usual. Eventually it may progress to experiencing challenges in completing simple tasks, difficulty concentrating, and confusion. Geriatric psychiatrist, Robert Santulli states, “Alzheimer’s disease involves loss of short-term memory but also other things like the ability to express yourself with language, the ability to perform certain routine tasks like getting yourself dressed or operating a piece of equipment. It has a lot of emotional symptoms that can go along with it as well such as depression or anxiety, sleep disturbance, agitation, and so forth” (Santulli). At the beginning, I remember my grandma as we drove to a hike asking “Where are we going?” to which my grandpa would patiently