Memory Loss In Elderly People

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.

Memory problems are usually the most obvious symptom in people with dementia. For example, a person with early stages of dementia might go to the shops and then cannot remember what they wanted. It is also common to misplace objects. As dementia progresses, sometimes memory loss for recent events is severe and the person may appear to be living in the past. They may think of themselves as young and not recognise their true age.

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.

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.

Alzheimer 's is a slow and debilitating disease that generates multiple problems with cognitive skills including; memory, thinking and behavior. (MedlinePlus, 2015) It is especially painful for friends and family members who see their loved ones progressively lose their memory and ability to function as they normally have. Symptoms typically develop gradually and progressively get worse over time, becoming severe enough to put the person afflicted with the disease unable to complete daily tasks and placing themselves at risk. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Alzheimer’s is the most common diagnosed condition of dementia. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Sixty to eighty percent of dementia cases are designated as Alzheimer’s. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Although the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age, it is not considered a normal part of aging. The majority of those diagnosed with Alzheimer 's are approximately sixty-five and older. However, Alzheimer’s is not just a disease affected by the older age populations. About 5 percent of people with Alzheimer’s experience early symptoms and the onset Alzheimer 's and most often appears in their forties or fifties. As stated above, Dementia or Alzheimer’s symptoms gradually worsen over time. In the early stages, it is common to experience mild memory loss. Eventually, the ability to carry on a conversation is lost. The sixth leading cause of death in the United States is Alzheimer’s. After Alzheimer’s symptoms become publicly

Nearly 15 million Americans provide unpaid care to a person living with Alzheimerʼs disease or another dementia (Alzheimerʼs Association 2011 Facts & Figures). Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist, and neuropathologist, is credited with identifying the first published case of "presenile dementia" in 1907, a condition that is now called Alzheimerʼs disease. Alzheimerʼs is the most common form of dementia in older adults. The terms "Alzheimerʼs" and "dementia" are often used interchangeably, but the conditions are not the same (Reed,

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s usually starts in late middle age or in old age and results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation and changes in personality and mood. It is an irreversible, progressive disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills which leads to the eventual inability to carry out the simplest tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.

Dementia is a neurodegenerative, progressively deteriorating and terminal clinical syndrome characterized by a loss or decline in memory and other cognitive abilities. Most recent scientific thinking is that dementia may be caused by various diseases and conditions affecting over 5 million Americans and 27.7 million worldwide. It is projected that the number of Americans with dementia will exceed 7.7 million by the year 2030 and from 11 to 16 million by the year 2050. There is presently not a cure for dementia.

In the mild stage of Alzheimer’s the symptoms could include: difficulty coming up with the right name, problems remembering names when meeting new people, difficulty performing tasks, forgetting material you’ve just read, losing and misplacing objects, and trouble planning and organizing things. The second stage is moderate Alzheimer’s disease which is the middle stage. It is known to be the longest stage and can carry over for many years. As the disease continues, the person affected with the Alzheimer 's disease will require more care. Symptoms include: forgetting about their own history, feeling moody, not being able to remember phone numbers or their name, confusion on what day it is, problems controlling their bladder, changes in their sleep patterns, and becoming lost. The last stage is severe Alzheimer’s. People lose the ability to respond to their environment, to hold a conversation and, to control movement. Symptoms include: require assistance full time daily, having difficulty communicating, become vulnerable to infections like pneumonia, and changes in physical abilities like walking, talking, and swallowing. There is no cure for Alzheimer 's but drug and non-drug medicines may help with all the symptoms.

Alzheimer 's is a degenerative disease of the brain that causes dementia, which is a gradual loss of memory, judgment, and ability to function. It is the most common form of dementia, and may hinder an individual 's performance of daily function. Sixty to eighty percent of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer 's.

In stage two of Alzheimer 's disease, Alzheimer 's patients can start to show some concerning symptoms of dementia. The first and most noticeable signs during this stage are commonly identified with memory. They could also begin forgetting where they put well known items such as keys or a wallet. They may start to forget names of individuals they know. Memory problems at this stage are still extremely mild, and do not appear on a medical assessment. Someone in stage two can normally still continue regular daily

Dementia is a continual or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or damage marked by memory disorders, character changes, and impaired reasoning. Dementia is not its own specific disease; it is a term in general that is used to describe various symptoms. There are two more common forms of dementia in the elderly which are vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. “An analysis of the most recent census estimates that 4.7 million people aged 65 years or older in the US were living with Alzheimer's disease in 2010”. (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142214.php) Although dementia is a disease usually among the elderly, it may occur at any age.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the brain wherein a person afflicted with the said disease would have compromised cognition and memory skills, and eventual deterioration of the skill to execute uncomplicated activities. According to experts, most individuals do not manifest the symptoms for Alzheimer’s disease until they are over the age of 60. This disease affects more than 5.1 million Americans.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be described as a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive physical and cognitive decline.1 AD which is mostly seen in the elderly, is the most common form of dementia. Dementia can be described as the loss of the brain’s ability to function in multiple ways in a person who is awake or alert. Dementia includes memory loss and also affects a person’s ability to speak, read, write, listen, and complete certain tasks.1 Dementia can have a tremendous impact on one’s behavior and emotions and can range from being a mild case to being totally disabling. There are several types of dementia with AD being the most common, which primarily affects the elderly and is usually irreversible and non-curable. Although not all dementia is AD, it does however account for up to fifty to seventy-five percent of dementia cases.2 Over 5 million Americans have AD, and it is estimated that by the year 2050 this number will have increased up to 14 million.2 One out of every ten people, ages sixty-five years and older develops AD and some may even develop the disease in their forty’s and fifty’s.2

Elderly people, male and female, all tend to lose their memories at one point or another. Whether they have a terminal illness or are just losing their memories because of age, the memories they lose tend to be the happiest or most important memories they had created. For instance, people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease lose memories of their children’s childhood, or even sometimes their names. They forget what they themselves used to be like, including what their favorite place was to eat and what they did in their free time. To an outsider, it would seem that a person who forgets so much has nothing left but what may come in the future. However, there are ways that can help these ill or aged people remember who they used to be.