Alzheimer's Disease: Get The Facts

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Incidents of Alzheimer's disease are becoming a growing concern in the United States. The Center for Disease Control (the CDC) estimates that Alzheimer's affects about five million Americans; it occurs in about five percent of elderly citizens aged from 65 to 74.

But its devastation extends far beyond the individuals that are diagnosed. Many children, grandchildren, other family members, and friends are all devastated by the individual's dementia which causes them to lose vital memories and even forget the people that surround them.

While medical researchers have not yet been able to pinpoint an explanation for the cause (or causes) of Alzheimer's, they do realize that age is a significant risk factor. One statistic suggests that HALF of Americans over the age of 85 have developed Alzheimer's disease.

Heredity may also contribute to a person's individual risk for contracting the disease. If your grandparents had it, you will want to keep a close eye on your parents for symptoms as they get older.

There are several significant warning signs that your loved one may be developing Alzheimer's. You should watch carefully for all of them.

The first is probably the most obvious: changes in memory, particularly short-term. They may ask you to repeat things you've recently told them. They might even forget important dates or events, like your child's high school graduation.

You might also want to watch for them using reminders for themselves, like an increase of post-it notes around the house or more reminders on their calendar. But only take note of this if it is abnormal behavior. If they've always done this, don't be too worried. Plus, there are other kinds of dementia, so don't panic.

They might develop unusual trouble with words or speaking in general. They might call an object by a different name than what it's actually called, or lose their train of thought in a conversation and then repeat themselves. Alzheimer's affects the part of the brain that deals with speech and vocabulary, so that is why such problems can arise.

One typical symptom is confusion with time and/or place. Sometimes they will forget where they are going or not remember why they are wherever they are. They can simply be confused about what day of the week it is, but remember later on.

The early signs of Alzheimer's, while alarming, can be manageable. There are even some medications which can help improve their short-term memory.

If your loved one is not prepared to move on to a retirement home, you should consider arranging in-home senior care.

Many companies offer both part-time and full-time in-home assistance to make sure that your elderly loved one can remember to take their medications, handle hygiene, pay their bills, and more. This will give you plenty of peace of mind as they are taken care of.


About the Author:
Heritage Senior Care, Inc. (http://www.heritageseniorcare.com/) enables the older or homebound person to remain in the comfortable surroundings of their home much longer than would otherwise be possible. Art Gib is a freelance writer.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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