Alzheimer's In African American Culture

In times past many people thought that memory loss was a normal occurrence for elderly people. This thinking was major reason for why Alzheimer’s disease was not caught until very later in the stages. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. After heart disease, cancer, and strokes, Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of death in adults in the Western world. “It is estimated that 4.5 million Americans over the age of 65 are affected with this condition. After the age of 65, the incidence of the disease doubles every five years and, by age 85, it will affect nearly half of the population” (Robinson).

And for the men’s suicide rates peak at age 65 and older. There are many reasons behind the death ideation they contributed by mental disorders, depression, alcohol and or drug abuse, the physical illness, trauma, violence, easy access to lethal methods, or a major life change in an individual. Fortunately there are social support and participation such as religious activities. Another significant mental disease is Alzheimer’s disease. Based on Yoo, Musselman, Lee, Melichar, 2014, “In 2006, 8.1 percent of Asian American Medicare beneficiaries ages 65 and older had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia (Porell, 2009).” The management in Alzheimer’s disease and dementias are challenged by the beliefs and shame involving this disease in many Asian American communities. And also depression is one of the major factors to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and suicide. Depression can lead from financial hardship, legal, policy considerations, social isolation, lack of support network and resources, language-cultural barriers, and discrimination. As a result, the Asian American community still contemplates to ask for help from others or from

The disease called Alzheimer’s is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Weiner, 1987). It is estimated that the elderly population will double between now and 2030. During this period, the number of elderly will grow by an average of 2.8% annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is estimated to range from 11.3 million to 16 million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005). These startling numbers should prompt an examination into one of the leading causes of death among this group of people. Understanding what Alzheimer’s is and the known causes of the disease are a good starting point. For those who have aging family members, knowing the risk factors and warning

Alzheimer’s disease in many ways is not yet defined. It is a progressive disease afflicting between 5 and 15 percent of people over 65. Additionally, it is not restricted to the elderly, reportedly having

Alzheimer’s is a disease in the brain that affects a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia and is common in adults older than 65. More than five million Americans are being affected by Alzheimer’s at this moment. Alzheimer’s comes in three stages; early, middle, and advanced. The disease is caused by the shrinking of the brain due to many risk factors and genetics.

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.

In a study that was done called aging, demographics and memory study (ADAMS) it was found that older African Americans are two times more likely than older whites to develop Alzheimer or any other dementia. Some of the reasons that have been discovered as to why older African Americans are more common to have Alzheimer’s is because they are found to have higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, along with other vascular diseases. Some other factors that can affect who may end up with Alzheimer’s are lower level of education, and socioeconomic characteristics which are found to be more common in African Americans. In the health and retirement study (HRS) 80% of African Americans were found to have high blood pressure. Other risks that have been found to have increased risk of Alzheimer’s are those with lower educations, low income being below $18,000 a year, and

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

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death, affecting more than five million people in the United States and is also one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia can be defined as a disorder of progressive cognitive impairment severe enough to affect daily functions of an individual’s life (Fillit, et al., 2002).

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

African Americans are twice as likely, and Hispanics are 1.5 more times likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease (2017 Alzheimer's Disease, n.d., p. 19). When examining the statistics of southern states such as Arkansas, one can see that these states, where there is a sizable minority population have higher death rates from Alzheimer’s (See Table 2). For example, Arkansas’ death rate is 27.9; however, the average mortality rate for the United States is 23.8 which is a sizable difference. Fewer minorities have health insurance, and the healthcare they receive is often of poorer quality, so they may be misdiagnosed or not receive the optimal treatment which impacts their health outcome.

“The past beats inside me like a second heart.” This is an important quote from an accredited novelist called John Banville. He is basically stating that memories help give people life. They are the things that make us who we are today. One thing that threatens this beautiful thing that makes us who we are is Alzheimer’s. It is a detrimental disease that mostly attacks today’s elderly. Most people do not know how bad this disease is today because the world is focused on other diseases without realizing how dangerous this disease can be. Alzheimer’s is a growing problem in this society and needs to be attended to so we can find a cure.

Alzheimer is a disease that affects the elderly most. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in the year 1906 when he was examining a female’s brain. He found out that the woman displayed memory loss, language problems and some inexplicable changes in behavior. The disease was named after the doctor who was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to memory loss, personality changes, and language problems (Gilbert & Julie 2). The disease is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65 years, though there is a small minority of people under the age of 50 who get the disease. Studies show that 1% of a whole population aged between the ages 65-75 have severe

Being that there is currently no cure, Alzheimer’s disease is an emerging public health concern. It poses as a societal issue for us because many of the baby boomers could suffer from this disease, creating an economic crisis. This could result in policies being made and additional taxes for the working to help fund treatment for these individuals. The Obama Administration has launched a war on Alzheimer’s disease, hoping to have a cure by 2025.The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s focuses on five major goals, which are to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025, optimize, care, quality and efficiency, expand supports for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, enhance public awareness and engagement and track

First, I will describe Alzheimer's disease it is a progressive condition that damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language and behavior. According to Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and more than five million Americans the ages of sixty and older are living with this disease. In two-thousand and twelve, 15.4 million