Patients With Alzheimer 's Disease

When it comes to Alzheimer’s, I know firsthand how it affects individuals and their families. My great grandfather had Alzheimer’s for many years before his passing late last year, at age 92. Alzheimer’s is a disease that many individuals suffer with each year, but yet with all the advancements in modern medicine we still have no cure for it. There are different ways to conquer this disease, understanding the causes, knowing effects, and researching possible treatments.

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).

Alzheimer's, the word strikes fear in some and an off-handed glance in others. The fact still remains that Alzheimer’s is an extremely shattering disease that removes the mind fraction by fraction over a period of time, this could even take decades. It begins as small memory lapses, slowly progressing to memory breaches but then progressively eroding your life to the point where around-the-clock care is the only option. With severe Alzheimer's, as we almost hear daily that patients have wandered off and gotten lost. In my own life, my grandfather was not even able to recognize his family members. Alzheimer's was a little known disease before 1960, but today it threatens to completely derail the health system in the United States.

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

This stems from frustration, misunderstanding, and often times an actual inability for those afflicted to express themselves. Lives are forgotten, simple daily tasks become insurmountable feats, and those suffering can even have a distaste for the ones they love the most. The impact can be equally devastating for their family members and caregivers. A New York Times article even equated the emotional and physical toll of caregiving as similar to the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Graham). Over time, this disease becomes exponentially more domineering and destructive. Until we can better understand the functionally of Alzheimer's, people associated with the disease can seek counseling, support groups, and information on more efficient ways to cope. There is even a great outlook for these services to increase as The U.S. DHHS also included a goal to “Expand Supports for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Their Families” in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. As part of this goal, nationwide strategies include providing the resources to help family caregivers continue to provide care while maintaining their own health and well-being; assisting families in planning for future care needs; and helping to maintain the dignity, safety, and rights of people with Alzheimer’s (National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease). As a result, quality of emotional

Although, according to Williamson, “many caregivers adapt quite well to their role” (Williamson). Before my pap started losing his memory, I didn’t realize how hard it was to watch a loved one with this disease, let alone care for a patient with Alzheimer’s. According to an article that explains a few coping strategies for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease, “caregivers of people with dementia experience high rates of clinically significant anxiety and depression” (Cooper). This article explains various emotion-focused strategies, problem-focused strategies, and dysfunction-focused strategies for those caring for a person with Alzheimer’s. An experiment was conducted on caregivers of patient who have Alzheimer’s that explains which of these strategies were

Alzheimer 's disease is a progressive deterioration of cognitive function sufficient to cause functional disability (Hannaman, Mitchell, Cross, 2011). It is the most common cause of dementia after age 60 with initial signs reflective of hippocampal dysfunction, with poor immediate recall and short-term memory. "As the disease progresses, visuospatial dysfunction (including with directions and geographic disorientation), due to parietal lobe involvement, and executive dysfunction (including difficulty initiating and completing tasks, reduced spontaneity, and apathy). due to frontal dysfunction typically appear" (Hannaman, Mitchell, Cross, 2011, p. 11-6). Median survival rate is 3 years because of

Alzheimer’s disease, other wise known as AD, is an age-related, non-reversible brain disorder that develops over a period of years . “Initially, people experience memory loss and confusion, which may be mistaken for the kinds of memory changes that are sometimes associated with normal aging.” However, what differentiates Alzheimer’s from normal aging is that cognitive function is impaired at such a high intensity over such a small time period that it induces issues such as: personality changes, decline in cerebral function, impairments when reasoning and making decisions, distortion and interference with speech, inability

Another reason why long-term care is more beneficial for an Alzheimer’s patient’s health is because cargivers tend to become overworked. A person with any form of Dementia needs their caregiver to be alert and organized everyday of every hour; if the caregiver is overworked and frustrated the patients care could be compromised unintentionally. Caregivers must watch over every single move of their loved ones if they stay at home. Taking care of a person with Alzheimer’s is like taking care of a giant infant. In most cases Alzheimer’s patients require constant supervision to ensure they do not wander about and forget where they are going. Safety is one of the greatest concerns in careing for an Alzheimer’s patient. Most Alzheimer’s patients have confusion often and could potentially get lost if they are not in their normal surroundings. Caregiving is both mentally and physically exhausting. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the physical and mental demands on a caregiver can gradually become overwheling (Segal). The number one concern for caregivers should

According to the Alzheimer’s Association (AA) (2016), it is estimated that in 2015 nearly 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and of those citizens, 5.1 million were 65 years old or older (“Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures,” 2016). This non-curable form of dementia, a general term for a group of symptoms of declining mental abilities that interfere with daily life, effects and kills 1 in 3 people in the geriatric population (AA: “Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures,” 2016). It is important for nurses to be aware and knowledgeable of this disease because of the huge prevalence of Alzheimer’s in the American population. Nurses should be educated on treating and battling the

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. “Its onset is generally insidious, with gradual deterioration of cognitive function, eventually resulting death.” (Falvo, D. 2009, pg. 226). Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia among people age 65 and older. “Nearly 70 percentages of all dementias are Alzheimer’s, and over 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s.”(www.alz.org). This disease is not just a disease that happens to older people, but there is a small percentage that can also affect those in their 30s.

Alzheimer 's disease is a form of dementia generally known for afflicting memory loss. An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from this disease (NIH, 2014). It is not a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s is common among the elderly, yet surprisingly, two-thirds of the people affected are women. While two thirds affected are women, they are also more likely to be from an African-American or Hispanic descent. Alzheimer 's disease is present in 60 to 80 percent of dementia patients (Mayo Clinic, 2015). A symptom of Alzheimer 's is difficulty remembering newly obtained information. As time passes, Alzheimer’s symptoms worsen and there is no cure; there are research studies and experimental treatments available. An estimated $226

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 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