Alzheimer's Informative Speech

     Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, “a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities (Shenk 14)”. Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, make judgments, communicate, and accomplish daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or aggravation, as well as illusions or hallucinations.

During the onset of the disease, symptoms are usually non-existant, and progress slowly over the course of many years, often going unnoticed until they become more severe. Alzheimer's is somewhat difficult to diagnose, but there are some common symptoms to all patients. Memory loss occurs in all patients. The person may have trouble remembering small things such as phone numbers, or where he/she put the keys. Eventually, short term memory is lost, and only memories in the far past are able to be recalled. People with Alzheimer's can become disoriented and can get lost easily when out on their own. Mood changes also occur, and the person can be easily irritated or agitated by seemingly insignificant things. Cognitive deterioration also occurs, with the person losing the ability to understand spoken language or recall the meanings of different words (Grayson, "Recognizing Alzheimer's" 1). Despite these common symptoms, making a diagnosis is difficult since Alzheimer's patientscan display the same symptoms as a head injury or depression.

Alzheimer’s disease is incurable, but there are many stages, warning signs, and risk factors that can serve as detection devices for those who have older adults in their lives. One of the most common early signs of this form of dementia is memory loss. While it is normal for people to occasionally forget things, such as appointments and names, people with Alzheimer’s tend to forget these things more often and are not able to recall them even after a period of time. Other signs that signify a possible case of Alzheimer’s is difficulty performing familiar tasks (cooking, brushing teeth), problems with language (using odd words, failing to remember correct words), disorientation (forgetting where one lives, not knowing how he got to a certain place), problems with abstract thinking (forgetting what numbers represent), misplacing items (putting a hair brush in the freezer), moodiness, personality changes (confusion, suspicion, fearfulness), and loss of initiative

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss, change in behavior, and overall cognitive decline.

In the United States there are approximately 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Every sixty-nine seconds a person is diagnosed. This is an ongoing issue, and unless something is done, sixteen million people will be affected by 2050 (Latest).

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease which slowly destroys thinking and memory skills. These changes are severe enough to interfere with day to day life. This irreversible disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst the elderly, with an appearance of first symptoms after age 60.

They may still be able to drive, work, and engage in social activities. However, they will notice that they are forgetting things such as doctor’s appointments. They may not be able to find the correct word to describe something simple such as a banana being yellow. They may also become reckless with their money, perhaps donating thousands to any charity that calls them. Moderate Alzheimer’s is typically the longest stage and one may notice more significant changes with the client such as not bathing, “sundowning” which is being more awake and pacing during the evening hours when they should be sleeping. The damage inside their brain makes it difficult to perform daily tasks such as cooking or cleaning. As time progresses, more memory is lost and the thought of them driving can lead to accidents or them becoming lost and unfamiliar with their surroundings even though they have lived in an area all their life. In the final stage, Alzheimer’s disease, will take away their ability to speak, control movement, and eventually the brain will stop the life sustaining body systems and they will die. In the final stage, they will need caregiving around the clock, which takes a tremendous toll on their family.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. This insidious, progressive disease impacts tens of millions of seniors in America and tens of millions more around the world. The disease robs its victims of their memory, cognitive skills, and eventually their ability to even control their won body. Because of the progressive nature of Alzheimer's, the amount of care an individual will need depends greatly on the stage of the disease and level of impairment.

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease. For most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60; however there is no specific age that a person can get the disease. If you are between the ages of 30 and 50, the disease is called Younger on-set Alzheimer’s.

     Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is the lost of thinking, remembering and reasoning so bad it screws up ability to do daily functions and eventually resolves in death. Dr. Alois Alzheimer’s first discovered the disease in 1906. Since then research has developed a deeper understanding of the changes in the brain. Warning sign’s of Alzheimer's are memory loss that affects home and job skills, problem in speaking, poor judgment, and difficulty in learning. The last stage of Alzheimer's disease is when you’re unable to take care of

There are other symptoms ,though, that come before memory loss in the extremely weird case of Alzheimer’s disease. Other symptoms include disorientation, trouble in focusing and communication, trouble sleeping, confusion, trouble coming up with the right words or using the wrong words, and dramatic mood swings ("Alzheimer's Disease Information: Facts, Causes, Definition, and

These changes seen, one would never be able to relate to. The whole human being is lost, their mind, body and soul. Normally, when age related change occurs, things are forgotten but often remembered later. (“Is it Alzheimer’s Disease?” 2012) some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. Normal age related change may be having trouble balancing a check book or something equally complex (“Is it Alzheimer’s Disease?,” 2012). People with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game. Typical age related change may be the occasional need to help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show (“Is it Alzheimer’s Disease?,” 2012). People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there. Typical age related change may be forgetting the day of the week but eventually remembering (“Is it Alzheimer’s Disease?”, 2012). For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving. Typical age related change may be vision related problems due to cataracts (“Is it Alzheimer’s Disease?”, 2012). People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea

After Alzheimer's is diagnosed in a parent, or other elderly family member, the caregiver has the task of deciding what the best form of care for the patient is. In order to do this they have to fully understand what the disease is, and

Alzheimer's Disease is a form of dementia that gradually gets worse and worse over time. Alzheimer's can affect the memory, the behavior, and the thought process of the affected person.

Alzheimer 's is a disease in the brain that destroys memory and other functions. Symptoms of this disease are confusion,difficulty