Memo On Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, accounting for 65–70% of all cases (Jellinger, Janetzky, Attems, & Kienzl, 2008). The other dementias are of the Parkinson 's group, the fronto-temporal group and the vascular group. The total worldwide yearly costs for the treatment and care of patients suffering from dementia are estimated to be around 250 billion US dollars. The lifetime risk for AD between the ages of 65 and 100 is 33% for men and 45% for women with an annual increase of 1–2% in the seventh decade to almost 60% in the 10th decade with doubling every 5 years (Jellinger et al., 2008). AD is incurable, and thus represents a major public health problem. AD represents a challenge to humanity due to its relatively recent discovery, progressive nature of the illness, and complex diagnosis.

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

By the numbers, Alzheimer’s disease looks even worse than it may be. The cost of Alzheimer’s overwhelms the caregiver and everyone involved with the patient. The price businesses pay for Alzheimer’s it detrimental to their industry, show by “A 2002 study showed that United States businesses lost $36.5 billion that year because employees missed work or quit and had to be replaced so that they could care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease” (Adams 24). The caregivers play vital roles in the lives of the sufferer, but the business take an even heavier loss. Heath care is necessary for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, however it can get expensive “The costs of

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).

More than 5 million Americans currently have dementia in the United States and this number is projected to rise to between 8 and 13 million by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Dementia is known to become more prevalent with age, increasing from 5 to 10 percent in people over 65 years of age to almost one half of people over the age of 85 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Although family members provide the majority of care for people with dementia, increasing needs over time often lead to placement in a long-term care setting. Dementia is the most common reason for entry into long-term care facilities (Zimmerman, 2013) and nearly 90% of persons with dementia will have at least one stay at a nursing home in their lifetime (Grunier, 2007).

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

Alzheimer 's disease currently ranks as the #6 leading cause of death in the United States and with the "Baby Boomer" generation currently standing as the largest aging population in the US, there is already a surge in need to support these individuals. Our society must understand and find ways on how to best care for these individuals. My interest in this topic stems from my professional interest in Nutrition and how it impacts Alzheimer 's disease as well as my desire to study the epidemiology behind Alzheimer 's. Additionally, as an adult caring for aging parents, the topic of long term health care often brings up questions about what options are available and how does my family pay for these services.

     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

Hi Jennifer, I’m sorry to hear that about your mother. Alzheimer’s is a very cruel disease that doesn’t only affect the person going through but their family and friends as well. A person will never truly understand what all it consist of until you have to watch a loved one life be affected by the disease. Or better yet the struggle to care for someone. I have watched my family bump heads on this matter more than I will like to see. It is truly stressful on everyone involved including the individual. I’m glad that you are able to assist your mother in law during this time. Overall, I wish there was a cure for it. The medication they have will only help somewhat with all the symptoms that occur with the disease.

Dementia is one of the age-related disorders which commonly affect the aging elderly population (65 and over). In 2010, the approximate number of people who had dementia was 35.6 million and it is estimated to double every twenty years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050 respectively. The incidence of dementia every year is 7.7 million which equals to one new case every four seconds (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012). In 2011, the Canadian baby boom generation initially began to turn 65 and became part of the elderly population which significantly impacted the fertility rates (Rockwood & Keren, 2010). In Canada, the elderly population accounts for approximately 13% of the population and one in eleven has dementia (Stein-Parbury & Eliopoulos, 2014). The researchers have estimated that by 2036, it will account for 25% of the population and 28% by 2061 (Bartfay, Bartfay & Gorey, 2013). There are many forms of dementia that an individual can acquire. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the common forms of dementia in the elderly population (National Institutes of Health, 2013). Currently, approximately five million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease (WHO, 2012) from which two thirds account for women (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). The reason behind more women having Alzheimer’s disease is merely due to the fact that women have higher life expectancy and old age contributes to higher risk for acquiring Alzheimer’s disease. It is apparent that Alzheimer’s disease

One of mankind’s greatest threats to its wellbeing is Alzheimer’s disease. This disease has plagued mankind for centuries and mercilessly strips people of their independence and intelligence. What makes this disease so dangerous is the fact that humankind has only recently begun to truly understand how it functions, this means that humankind currently has no defense against said disease. Why does mankind only now understand Alzheimer’s disease if it has been around for centuries? The reason is due to the lack of knowledge of the disease, especially by the public. If one were to go back only fifty years ago they would see just how little attention Alzheimer’s disease received; few people knew about it and even fewer were; concerned enough to actually bother learning about it. Logically this brings to mind the question: what caused this relatively sudden shift in perception of the disease? It is no coincidence that the disease is now widely known and identified as a threat by the public and doctors alike. Several factors caused this shift to happen. Everything starts with properly informing the public about these types of issues, for this reason, this paper will serve the purpose of properly informing the reader on Alzheimer’s disease. To do this, it will go back to the very beginning and trace the timeline of the disease. Once this basic foundation of understanding is created, the paper will begin to delve into the complexities and causes of the disease, and ultimately

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

There needs to be more public knowingness of neuropsychological diseases, in order to catch early onset dementia and start prophylactic treatments to preserve quality of life for as long as possible. The more aware people are as to how detrimental Alzheimer’s disease is, the better quality of life their family members will have. If one were to do just a small amount of research and take a small initiative, it could make all the difference.

Alzheimer’s disease affects 1 out of every 8 people in the United States. It is a long and debilitating disease that affects every aspect of a person’s life from the way they preform daily tasks, to the physical and mental abilities that are diminishing. Along with the lifestyle changes that Alzheimer’s disease presents, it also affects one’s psychological perspective as well their view on what they can offer their family and society. There are some ways to maintain a level of independence with a disease of this magnitude but there are also factors in lifestyle choices that can make it worse. Alzheimer cannot be cured, it cannot be slowed, but there are ways to keep the effected person at a certain level of comfort, independence and safety