Alzheimer's Association: A Case Study

When it comes to Alzheimer’s, I know firsthand how it affects individuals and their families. My great grandfather had Alzheimer’s for many years before his passing late last year, at age 92. Alzheimer’s is a disease that many individuals suffer with each year, but yet with all the advancements in modern medicine we still have no cure for it. There are different ways to conquer this disease, understanding the causes, knowing effects, and researching possible treatments.

“There is one thing Alzheimer 's cannot take away, and that is love. Love is not a memory - it 's a feeling that resides in your heart and soul.” (Fade to Blank). The human brain is a remarkably complex organ that processes, stores, and recalls information. “Alzheimer 's disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception. Many scientists believe that Alzheimer 's disease results from an increase in the production or accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nerve cell death.” (Crystal). It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases, and currently has no cure. (# 3) Research continues to be done to develop better ways to care for those affected with the disease, as well as to find support for family members, friends, and caregivers. Alzheimer’s is a devastating illness that is not a normal part of aging. In order to find a cure, awareness needs to increase to improve understanding, develop effective treatments, and to essentially prevent the disease.

Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common form of Dementia which is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Based on 2018 Alzheimer’s Association statistics, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s over the age of 65 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Many scientists state the death rate for heart disease has declined by 11% while death by Alzheimer’s has raised by 123% (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). It is considered to be the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Alzheimer’s disease(AD) is an abnormal aging

Alzheimer’s and Dementia are becoming more prevalent in America, caretakers and medical professionals are urging people to become more self-aware of these diseases. Dementia is a disease that can develop into other disorders such as Vascular Dementia or Parkinsons Disease; however, in most cases, it usually ends up as Alzhiemers. It 's a typically seen in older people; about, sixty five and older, so of course one would automatically put themselves, and their family out of the picture, that is until one of you gets it. In most cases one primarily thinks of Alzheimer’s and Dementia as diseases that they, as well as anyone close to them would necessarily not get anytime soon, or maybe even ever. Due to increased medical costs, and scarce specialized facilities; seniors with Alzheimer’s and Dementia are not quite the recieving proper, sustainable long-term care.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerate disease of the brain. There are an estimated four million Americans that live with Alzheimer’s, it is believed that the disease accounts anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of all cases of dementia (UCSF medical center). The vast amount of cases leads me to believe that we would not need to look very far to find either a friend or family member distant or close that has had a personal or familial experience with this disease.

My memorable journey onto the Alzheimer’s world begins in my late twenties. I used to work as an activity director in a retirement home for senior citizens. I just knew for protocol that more than a quarter of the total population of the residents was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s as a secondary diagnose.

Overall, people who take care of dementia patients must handle health care responsibilities of the person with dementia more often than caregivers of people who do not have dementia. Some of the common tasks outlined by the Alzheimer’s Association include assisting with daily activities around the house, managing the medications, helping with activities of daily living such as getting dressed and bathing, and providing support for the person with dementia as the disease progresses. Dementia residents require significantly more assistance with activities of daily living and help around the house in comparison to other older adults (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). Due to the time consuming responsibilities and the increasing level of care required during this stage, this might be a time when informal caregivers outsource some the responsibility to formal caregivers and facilities equipped for the level of intensity required.

In 1970, Evelyn Stone was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. However, her husband, Jerome Stone, already knew that something was wrong years before the actual diagnosis. Jerome H. Stone originally grew up to be a businessman, “helping to build the multi-billion dollar Stone Container Corporation,” (Santos) which was his family’s business. As a member of the executive committee of the business, Stone “had the ability to pull people together to coalesce things,” (Megan) and did exactly that in 1979 when he brought together families concerned about Alzheimer’s. “Astonished at how little was known about Alzheimer’s,” (Megan) Jerome Stone created the non-profit organization known as the Alzheimer’s Association just one year after meeting with the families, on April 10, 1980. 36 years later, the non-profit continues to thrive, arguably as the top organization in advancing the care for Alzheimer’s, as it has been able to raise large sums of money through donors and accomplish goals through United States federal legislation.

There are many different types of dementia, but Alzheimer’s is the most common, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases in America (Alzheimer 's Association Organization, 2016). There are three types of Alzheimer’s, Early-onset Alzheimer’s, when people younger than 65 years old are diagnosed with the disease, typically around their 40’s or 50’s and is very rare, less than 10% of all people with Alzheimer’s have early-onset; Late-onset Alzheimer’s which is what most people are familiar with, and is when someone is diagnosed with the disease after the age of 65; and lastly, Familial Alzheimer’s disease which is a form that doctors know for

     Alzheimer’s disease is relentlessly destroying the brains and lives of our nation’s older adults, robbing them of memory, the ability to reason, and affecting their emotions and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain. The longer we live the greater the risk: one out of every two Americans aged 85 and older and one out of every 10 aged 65 and older are afflicted with the disease. It affects two groups of people: those with the disease and the loved ones who care for them. By the year 2050, an estimated 14 million Americans will be in its grip.

The first time I ever heard of Alzheimer's, I didn't know what it was. Alzheimer's is a disease where an individual will lose their short/long term memory and is the cause of problems related to the circulatory and nervous system. Alzheimer's starts to develop around the age of 60. It goes to the point of them forgetting their name, and soon enough, their physical appearance. Alzheimer's is a genetic condition and the only way it is spread is by heredity. There are approximately 500,000 people in the US currently suffering due to Alzheimer's. There is no cure but with treatment, effects can be delayed. Nowadays, parents are able to know if their newborn is prone to get Alzheimer’s later on in life. A poor circulatory system can lead to Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is a sort of dementia that causes issues with memory, deduction and conduct. Manifestations for the most part grow gradually and deteriorate after some time, getting to be distinctly sufficiently serious to meddle with day by day assignments. A standout amongst the most well-known indications of Alzheimer's is memory misfortune, particularly overlooking as of late learned data. Others incorporate overlooking imperative dates or occasions; requesting a similar data again and again; progressively expecting to depend on memory helps or relatives for things they used to handle on their own.Sometimes overlooking names or arrangements, yet recollecting that them later. A few people may encounter changes in their capacity to create and

Health care is suppose to provide justice and quality care that is equal and universal amongst all people, however certain situations and financial barriers can affect the quality and measure of health care services a person can receive. “Health overall is not a goal around which we organize our lives but a necessary condition for pursuing nearly all the goals around which we organize our lives. In this respect, health care is a basic requirement of equality.” (Brock et al, 1994). Unfortunately, everyone health care needs are not met as “top priority or most important” and some people fall to the bottom of the list or do not get treated at all. This does not necessarily mean that his or her needs

The clinical definition for Alzheimer’s is “a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes” (Alzheimer’s Foundation of America 2016).

One of the strongest risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is alipoprotein epsilon-4 (ApoE4), particularly in late-onset sporadic and familial AD (Ghebremedhin et al., 1998; Chartier-Harlin et al., 1994; Corder et al., 1993). AD is strongly associated with two types of pathologies, amyloid-β plaque and the phosphorylated tau proteins that can often lead to neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) (Kim et al., 2009). The three alleles of ApoE (E2, E3, and E4) have been found to show dosage-dependent effects that negatively affects the clearance of amyloid-β plaque, with E4 showing the least clearance whereas E2 showing the most (Deane et al., 2008; Holtzman, 2004). Additionally, the increasing amount of E4 alleles