Log in to become a member of Sebastien Prince's Fan Club!
Alzheimer's Disease in Alzheimer's Facilities: Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease which progressively assaults the brain and hinders memory capabilities. The acts of thinking and reasoning are also affected by Alzheimer's disease which is the most common form of dementia.
Discovered by Alois Azheimer in 1906 while studying the brain of a woman having suffered from dementia before her death.
His main discovery was similar to plaque mixed in the neurons of her brain. These plaques were later called amyloid plaques which are still known as the main origin of Alzheimer's disease.
Beta-amyloid are proteins which are of the abnormal type and which attack the brain's nerve cells by poisoning them, thus resulting in Alzheimer's disease and institutionalization in an Alzheimer's Facility. Science still only has theories about how these proteins are created by the body.
Age is the Greatest Risk Factor in Alzheimer's Disease. The main factor in developing Alzheimer's disease is your age. Though Alzheimer's disease can be developed at any age, sometimes as early as in the late thirties, the risk grows expodentially after your sixty-fifth birthday. In fact, your chances of developing Alzheimer's is up to 50% when you reach 80 years old. Risks of accidents are greatly reduced by moving the patient to an Alzheimer's facility.
The Other Risk Factors of Developing Alzheimer's Disease. Your genetics, stress, injury, poor physical activity level and inadequate diet are all factors which increase your risk of being a victim of Alzheimer's disease.
Race Factors of Alzheimer's Disease. In 1998, the Alzheimer's Association reported a study which was conducted on one thousand people in New York demonstrated that African Americans and Hispanics were more likely to get hit by Alzheimer's than were Caucasians. This explains why we find only around 30% of Caucasians in Alzheimer's facilities.
Diagnosing Alzheimer's. So far, the only way to get a 100% positive diagnosis of Alzheimer's is through an autopsy the brain tissue. There are, however, less drastic ways of establishing a relatively accurate diagnosis, partly by identifying Alzheimer's most obvious symptoms and partly by eliminating all other causes for dementia. Observation by specialists in an Alzheimer's facility also helps.
Research into Alzheimer's. Since babyboomers are aging, the actual number of Azheimer's cases being treated in Alzheimer's facilities will be increasing rapidly in Southern California. This has a major impact in all media coverage which leads to research subventions and advancements.
Research is advancing both through drugs to slow down the brain's deterioration and to alleviate Alzheimer's symptoms. The already diagnosed, often being treated in Alzheimer's facilities, can also hope for better days as they are also going to take advantage of scientific advancements.
Funding for Alzheimer's Disease Research. Research into Alzheimer's disease and it's effects on people living in Alzheimer's facilities is mostly financed through the federal government, the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer's Association (private donations).
The Alzheimer's Association is the largest voluntary health organization in the US and helps Alzheimer's sufferers through it's local chapters by giving support services, information and referral services to the families of the 75% of sufferers who still live at home as well as to those living in an Alzheimer's facility.
When Alzheimer's hits close to home. All families react differently when faced with the fact that a loved one was hit by the disease.
For a couple, it might be noticing that their spouse is behaving in a different or weird way, has a hard time performing simple usual tasks or has frequent memory lapses.
Symptoms are often noticed in the same manner by extended family members who see that their loved one has lost some of their mental abilities since the last time they met.
The situation is different for elderly who live on their own and don't have many visitors. In this case, the first symptoms can go unnoticed and it can take larger, more traumatic occurrences, such as forgetting one's address for the Alzheimer's disease diagnostic to be made.
Not all cases need to be transferred to an Alzheimer's facility.
The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's. Knowing how to recognize the early signs of Alzheimer's can help both the victim and it's family deal with the situation earlier in order to guaranty security and better treatments to their loved one. Here they are according to the Alzheimer's Association Fact Sheet on Alzheimer's disease:
Loss of recent memories
Having a hard time finding words or finishing sentences.
Lack of judgment.
Loss or misplacement of daily used things such as glasses, keys and their placement in unusual places.
Unusual mood swings for no obvious reason.
Unusual lack of discipline for doing daily routine things which now require prompting.
Difficulty in performing habitual tasks
Changes in basic personality traits such as becoming confused, paranoid or afraid.
Loss of orientation regarding both time and space.
A totally devestating situatin for all involved. I have an elederly mom and frankly as her dementia gets worse it become more of an issue with me seeing and living it.
» left by sebastien from california (86 days 9 hours ago.)
Hello Robert,
It is a very difficult situation indeed.
Do not make the mistake of trying to deal with this on your own as there is a lot of help available with people who have experienced this situation multiple times and can be of great help.
Was this article helpful to you? Leave a Public Comment or
Question:
This Article has been viewed 16
times.
Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 View other articles written by Sebastien Prince(3)
If you found this article interesting, you may want to check out:
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
