Alzheimer's Commercial Analysis

Central Idea: Alzheimer's disease affects millions of Americans each year thus it is important to become familiar with the risk factors, symptoms and treatment options available for those living with the disease.

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.

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in America. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Alzheimer’s accounts for 70-80% of dementia cases. By the age of 65, 1 in 9 people are diagnosed and by the age of 85, 1 in 3 people will have the disease. According to the Alzheimer Association, 5 million people in American have Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s starts to form 20 years prior to being diagnosed. Learning about Alzheimer’s can help families understand how Alzheimer’s is more than just memory loss, it is an incurable mental disease.

I don’t remember a time when my grandpa knew who I was. He had a disease that affected me and my family personally. In fact, I’m guessing that many of you sitting in the audience have also been affected by this horrible disease. The disease I am talking about is Alzheimer’s. Did you know that 1 in every 9 people age 65 or older have it? And even worse 1 in every 3 people age 85 or older are affected by it. Many of you may already know something about Alzheimer’s, but let me give you a brief run down. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory loss, difficulty completing simple tasks, confusion with time or place, problems with speaking or writing, changes in mood or personality, and increased anxiety. Now I know you may be thinking, he is just describing the freshmen sitting in the back. But don’t be fooled, all they suffer from is a lack of sleep and rampant immaturity, but for older people these are symptoms of a disease that wreaks havoc on families throughout the world.

A major devastating and debilitating disease, Alzheimer 's is a public health issue that affects not only the United States but also countries all around the world. In 2010, there were 35.6 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Researchers and medical personnel expect this number to triple by the year 2050. The disease is costing America an exorbitant amount of money and has become a burden on families, caregivers, medical personnel, the healthcare system, and the nation’s economy. If attention is not focused on this major problem, “nursing homes will be overloaded, caregivers will be burned out, healthcare system will be overwhelmed, and federal and state budgets will be overtaxed” (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011).

Everyday more and more people are effected by dementia. This disease is taking over the lives of innocent people around the world. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources have designed The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’ Disease. This plan focuses on many important areas greatly affected by this irreversible disease and concentrates on the struggles one faces during its presence. I found three areas to be very important to the future of Alzheimer’s and other dementias; Expand research aimed to identify and treat Alzheimer’s, Educate and support people with Alzheimer’s and their families upon diagnosis, and Enable family caregivers to continue to provide care while maintaining their own health and well-being.

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

Jessica Gwinn is a freelance writer and creative consultant who, for the past 12 years, has been primarily focused on clients in the medical, biotech, fiber optics and software fields. Previously, she worked with the Delaware Valley Alzheimer’s Association, managing all the event planning for Philadelphia’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s (formerly The Memory Walk®). Jessica was very close to her grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer’s. This article is directed to patients and caregivers.

Have you ever done something dumb, and stated, "I think I've lost my mind?" Well for an average of 5.5 million people, this is a reality. Parts of their brain literally have begun to die, and with it, goes their livelihood. Before becoming a home health aide, I had heard of dementia and Alzheimer's, but I had never seen it first-hand. Over the last two years I have watched as it has debilitated many people both physically and mentally, and all I can think is: "When

Alzheimer’s disease has an effect on many people and families across the entire world. For many, the disease is a touchy subject and just about everyone knows someone impacted by Alzheimer’s. Families dealing with Alzheimer’s all feel guilt, grief and loss, and anger which stems from frustration. This disease is not something preventable and many people struggle with this. That is why it is important for people to be educated about it and to spread awareness. This past June, the Alzheimer’s Association hosted an event called “ Dyeing To End Alzheimer’s” The goal of this mission was to raise awareness for the disease by encouraging participants to dye their hair purple, the official color of Alzheimer’s awareness.

My story kicks off with my mom and I going grocery shopping at Jewels. There, Jewels is packed with many different kinds of people and the lines are long, which leaves me a bit angry because I want to hurry up and go home. The first thing my mom grab is a bag of smelly onions, I really don’t like onions because they make my eyes watery and burst into tears. My mom then, grabs two bags of Turnip greens, Turnip greens aren’t my favorite but, they taste nice with the rotisserie turkey and candy yams. I pick up two of my favorite foods of Thanksgiving which, is the turkey and a box of baked

Currently, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s has also worked its way up to the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Not only does this disease take the lives of the victims, but it also takes a perhaps bigger toll on the caregivers. The longer a victim lives with Alzheimer’s, the more extensive time, effort, money, and caution a caregiver has to provide. Today, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. However, there are new treatments that slow the progression of the disease, and there are also new ways for doctors to diagnose it earlier. It is amazing that something that affects so many people is so difficult to have

Many organizations and funding helps support cancer and other diseases because the survivors are able to share their stories, which creates emotion for the listener. Since no one with Alzheimer’s is able to share a story about the hardships of the disease, family members and caregivers should have the responsibility to advocate a change in the amount of funding Alzheimer’s research receives. Also, Jessica Gwinn, expert who writes about clients in the medical, biotech, fiber optics and software fields, concludes “as caregivers, we can begin by advocating for our loved ones and giving them a voice that they cannot give themselves. People can share their stories and speak out to help ease and, ultimately, eliminate the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s. And we can support one another with a strong and unified goal of finding a cure through greater awareness about the devastating effects of this disease.” This solution is as simple as telling others about how many people Alzheimer's kills each year, yet it still has no cure. Sharing simple information may help other people realize Alzheimer’s is a serious disease and should be

He still grasped and held my hand like he used to, but this time, he inquired as to who I was. He couldn’t quite recall my name or fathom as to why I would be coming to him. The affliction only became worse from there, and every year, it took him longer and longer to recognize me, even with my mom and his wife’s prompting. Eventually Bud forgot me, and that hurt. But I cannot even imagine the overwhelming agony his wife endured. Bud forgot her too. He forgot everyone. Alzheimer 's is terrifying. The slightly confused smile as well as the listlessness exhibited in your loved one’s eyes as you introduce yourself, and tell them where they know you from. That moment when you realize they truly don’t remember. Terrifying. My question is this: Why don’t more people know about this deadly disease? Why is there not more funding pouring in from around the nation? After all, a disease that claims the lives of about 1,920 people ages 65 and up per day (700,000 per year) (“Facts And Figures”) deserves a little more attention. Remember, this number is just the deaths and doesn’t even include the over five million people who currently live with Alzheimer’s (“Facts and Figures”) or those who must step up daily and reteach their loved ones the most simple of tasks time after time. So join me, as I travel through this largely underestimated disease.

More than 5 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease, a number that will grow to 13.4 million by 2050. Health experts estimate that a 65-year-old has a 10% risk of developing Alzheimer's and that baby boomers currently approaching peak age for the disease (60 to 80) will add $627 billion in Alzheimer's-related health care costs to Medicare. There is a considerable psychological price tag too, for patients and caregivers alike--and a fear factor. In a recent poll conducted for The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes On Alzheimer's, 84% of adults surveyed were concerned that they or someone in their family would be affected by the disease. That fear is compounded by the belief that research for Alzheimer's is lagging behind