Alzheimer's Disease: A Very Brief Summary

As a person ages, theirs body cannot perform the way it used to. This will cause many elderly people to loose their job or choose to go into retirement. Both of these options cause a loss in health care as well and a reduced or exterminated income. Here alone lies a reason that the elderly population is challenged. The elderly population also has a tendency to develop a chronic illness that can be life threatening if not treated or controlled properly. This means that need for health care treatments also increases. At least 40% of those over age 65 will have nutrition-related health problems requiring treatment or management (Gigante, 2012). It is important to realize that 10% of people over the age of 65 and will develop Alzheimer’s disease and 50% of those over the age of 85 will develop this disease (Gigante, 2012). More elderly African American men and women use government aid than white men and women. Therefore, this population will be vulnerable because of the lack of funding, proper health care and insurance.

When it comes to cultural issues pertaining to this issue, Alzheimer's disease and dementia affect all racial and ethnic peoples. Communities of color and other historically underserved groups often encounter problems when accessing services or information about Alzheimer's disease. Because of this, the local chapter is working to increase awareness of the disease and understanding about the obstacles to service for rural communities, ethnic groups, and communities of color. This though should not be a reason people do not step out on their own and seek help

The United States Department of Health has an overarching goal “to eliminate health disparities.” This term has no absolute definition. It is most often defined as “health differences that occur by gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, living in rural localities, or sexual orientation,” or “population specific difference in the presence of disease, health outcomes, or access to care.” Many factors cause health disparities. Older adults face challenges in one or all of these disparities. Depending on their living conditions and life-time health problems, they may be in double or triple jeopardy, increasing their risk for serious illness and need for eldercare.

Research show that in 2013, over 9.5% of seniors over the age of sixty-five lived in poverty with the percentage increasing as an individual’s age increases (McNeal, 2016). These statistics does not account for the other issues which affects families and caretakers when addressing the well-being of their loved ones and the inadequate access to long term care.

It is said that Alzheimer have a higher risk among African Americans than white Americans (Fortune 93). This disease is prevalent up to 14% or even 100% among aging African Americans due to higher risk factors. It is believe that the lack of education of this degenerative disease cause the most damage as minorities

The stigma associated with accessing mental health services, as well as African Americans’ cultural beliefs about aging presents another discrepancy (Clark et al., 2005). Hence in the African American community the disease is rarely identified. The fact that African Americans’ are also underrepresented in studies that examine substantial factors, including environmental, molecular, and pathophysiological factors compounds the risk factor. Subsequently limiting the accuracy of research studies targeted to address the needs of individuals with dementia related Alzheimer’s disease (Holston, 2005). According to the 2005 Clark et al., study, screening for Alzheimer’s disease is a good intervention from a public health perspective; however it is rarely done or required on a routine basis which also impedes timely diagnosis. Limited access to adequate health care and other ethnic disparities will continue to be a risk factor for African American women age sixty five and

When presented with the word “elderly,” a twenty-year-old might begin to think of the joys of retirement when an older person has spent their life building a comfortable bank account; they then get to reward themselves by journeying around the world with their near and most dear companion. When reality sets in, that person may realize that a lot of today’s elderly are living in nursing homes or living week-by-week not knowing if they are going to be able to leave their hospital bed just to go relax in their recliner at home. While it is true that some elderly enjoy their last twenty or thirty years on earth, a lot of the elderly in America are struggling to hang on to life while being abused every day by healthcare workers or even loved ones. While many people have been working endlessly to put a stop to elder abuse, not everyone can say the same.

Caring for the elderly and disabled has always been a relevant issue among American’s; however, not until recently has it become a significant issue within society. Change has occurred in the past couple decade as the workforce dynamics have transitioned from the family based farm living to the inner city, college educated worker who follows opportunity. Decades ago it was common place to have an aging relative live with the family in a multi-generational home; however, that is no longer a practical option in many cases. Although this transitioning of society has created a new issue and that is providing care to those elderly or disabled members of society who cannot rely on the support of family

Approximately 10 million Americans needed long-term care in 2000. The majority of these patients are elderly: "Approximately 63% are persons aged 65 and older (6.3 million); the remaining 37% are 64 years of age and younger (3.7 million)" (What is long-term care, 2012, FCA). Of the long-term care population of elderly "about 30% (1.5 million persons) have substantial long-term care needs (three or more ADL limitations) 地bout 25% are 85 and older and 70% report they are in fair to poor health" (What is long-term care, 2012, FCA). In addition to the problems posed to them by ill health there is also the issue of poverty which can further complicate care and treatment for these patients: "40% of the older population with long-term care needs

In an effort to lessen the impact this has on the results of the study, the estimates from East Boston were applied to a high, middle, and low series interval of the population. The high, middle, and low series intervals are given to buffer the results of the study. The population may not grow at the rate at it is expected to so the high interval is given in case the population grows at a rate higher than expected, and the low interval in case the population grows at a slower rate than expected. This gives a broader set of results that may be more accurate. Though the results of this study are not exact, the trend that they show is correct and useful. With the baby boomer generation steadily reaching post-retirement age, more people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and the issue of their care becomes a concern to them and their families. This raises many questions: What is Alzheimer's disease? Is it different from senility or amnesia? What causes it? Does a person with Alzheimer's disease need special care? Can that care be provided for in the home, by family members? Is this a practical way to care for the patient2?

The news story that I continue to research, Healthy mitochondria could stop Alzheimer’s, is directly related to finding the cause and cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Today’s research and treatment attempts for Alzheimer’s disease center around the belief that the cause of this disease is the build-up of toxic plaque in the brain due to the protein called beta-amyloid. This article introduces the thought that Alzheimer’s may be a metabolic disease and studies mitochondria, energy-producing cells. Specifically, scientists introduced the idea that healthy mitochondria can stop Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, studies reveal that Alzheimer’s disease causes damage to mitochondria resulting in the cell’s inability to protect or discard damaged cells.

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The research involving increased participation of African Americans in Alzheimer 's disease research studies will be conducted via the use of a survey, and it will take two years to complete. The survey will sample African Americans living in the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan (Harlem), and Brooklyn (Coney Island). There will be 1,000 female and 1,000 male participants from the African American community who will be asked to complete the survey. Eligibility criteria for selection will be being 18 years of age and older, and having a loved one, friend, family member, or significant other suffering from Alzheimer 's disease.

Since the summer after my first year at Agnes, I have been an intern in the Department of Outreach at Emory University’s Brain Health Center. The goal of the Department of Outreach is to educate at risk populations about the prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease. We are able to develop a strong sense of community by acting as the link between community members and the individuals who keep them healthy. As an intern, I am involved in the designing and implementation of annual community health programs. For example, one of the community programs that I led in forming was the CME Symposium for Community Physicians, which educates local physicians about the disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of African Americans with Alzheimer’s. I was primarily

As the life expectancy in the United States rises, the number of elderly in the population has also expanded. These increases have led to the oldest-old (people aged 90 and older) to become the fastest growing age group in the country. The oldest-old face many unique challenges because of their age, one of which is disability. Disability in the elderly has major impact upon society 1 and will continue will be a growing burden in years to come.