Facts About Alzheimer's: A Friend's Take

One of the scary things when you think about getting older is the possibility of getting Alzheimer's. I know I have given it a thought or two. It affects a lot of people, the patients and families of the patients. There are approximately 5 million people that live with Alzheimer's everyday. Most people are over the age of 65 and some have early onset and have it under age 65. Currently there is not a cure or prevention for the disease.

What is Alzheimer's?
It is a progressive disease that takes over the brain. It diminishes the ability to remember and to hold future memory. It attacks the brain so bad that it can affect the ability to make good judgement, ability to learn anything new, and ability to reason. Daily activities almost become nonexistent. Alzheimer's is the number one form of dementia. Can you imagine that one day the life that you live today could become difficult to do? Even your moment every morning when you walk outside to get the paper will stop at some point. My best friend's father has Alzheimer's. As of 3 years ago he was an active person. He was diagnosed after his wife became concerned about his memory loss. He went from never having a free moment in life to being someone who doesn't even leave his chair in the living room much. It can leave a person to lose their will to function and that behavior can lead to the patient giving up. That is why the family has to be informed and willing caretakers to make it work.

It has been said that it is hereditary. Most Alzheimer's patients have siblings that have had Alzheimer's. This information will help the doctor in the diagnosis. Early diagnosis is highly important so that treatments can be started to help cope with the disease and help when progression of the disease starts. It is imperative to learn as much as you can about the disease so that you won't be blind sided as it goes along. There are drugs that are available to lesson the effects of some of the symptoms that can be given. You want to get the patient the early attention so that the patient can be a participant in their journey. My friend said that one of the groups that she attends has a saying, "It is better to be a participant and not let yourself just be a victim". When I asked her what their interpretation of that saying was, she said that it meant that if a patient gets treatment early, the patient feels like they can be involved in their treatment and the patient can make the most of the time that they have before they loose control of their mind. After her father found out that he had Alzheimer's he decided to take a few trips before he got worse. It seemed to help him cope with the idea that one day soon he would not be able to do things like that. It is important to keep their spirits up as much as possible. Depression can be a huge factor in the patients life.

What are the Symptoms?
It is important to know what the symptoms are and when you should be concerned. The symptoms are much more serious than simply forgetting why you came into a room or forgetting someone's name. Here are some of the symptoms that could be a sign of Alzheimer's. These symptoms are some to recognize and alarm you to discuss with the patients doctor.

The symptoms first show up as someone with an extremely bad memory. No I am not saying because you are forgetful you must have Alzheimer's, but if you are over the age of 65, let your doctor know of any major changes in memory that you are experiencing or that your family is concerned about. Short term memory loss is usually a good sign that a doctor needs to know to be able to diagnose the problem.

When a person can not do simple everyday task that they have always one by themselves, such as brush their teeth or fix a meal, you might want to bring it up to their doctor. One of the things that was first noticed by my friend's mother about her husband, was one morning he walked in the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush and then after contemplating it, he turned to her and asked what he should do next. He couldn't remember to put toothpaste on the brush. Things like this example should be a concern to bring up to the doctor. Alzheimer's will make the patient feel hopelessness and no need to take intuitive in life. They have to have all of the support that they can have to feel like a functioning human being.

Simple things like dressing themselves may become hard. My friends father started to wearing layers when it was hot outside. He was oblivious that he was dressed for cold weather. Patients will need good caregivers to help them through simple tasks like this.

Speech and language become difficult as the disease goes on further. They sometimes can not decipher what to say and it comes out wrong. They will sometimes use substitutions for words by using phrases that will describe the word they are trying to remember. Writing becomes a challenge for the patient and most of the time it comes out unreadable. My friend's father can not write anything now, his wife has to do all of that for him.

Another thing that an Alzheimer's patient has happen is disorientation. They will forget where they are and get agitated about it. Frequently her husband will sneak off and go for a walk and 9 times out of 10 he will get lost and we have to go looking for him. One time the cops had to find him and when they did he could remember who he was or where he was.

Alzheimer's patients are most likely to lose their self control over decision making. I will tell you from seeing what y friend's father does, no decision that an Alzheimer patient makes will cease to amaze you. It's like they will agree to anything anyone says. I think that an Alzheimer's patients family needs to step in and make sure that the patient could not make decisions that will indirectly hurt cause harm to them or their well-being such as finances. Numbers may become difficult for them to remember how to use.

Mood swings are frequent with Alzheimer's patients. One minute they are happy and no cares in the world and the next they are angry for no reason. This has been a challenge with my friend's father. He has gotten to the stage where he gets real aggressive with his moods at times. He has spells where he is paranoid and thinks people are watching him or trying to hurt him. Personality changes you will see in an Alzheimer's patient will shock you. Sometimes they become the opposite of who they were before Alzheimer's. Some patients can even get to be violent with the mood swings.

What can cause Alzheimer's?
Although most causes have no direct cause, some things can happen to make it more of a risk. If you happen to have any heart or vascular problems in your life, this puts Alzheimer's as a possibility for the future because of the brain needs blood from the heart. A head injury can cause more risk for Alzheimer's because of possible injury to the brain. Overall health and how you live your life can add to the risk of Alzheimer's. It is important to stay fit and active through life to keep the brain active.

What questions should I ask a doctor?
When you decide it is time to talk with a doctor about a loved ones memory loss or other symptoms you have noticed, ask the following questions. How can we tell if the memory loss is caused by Alzheimer's? What symptoms should I report back to you on? When should we come back to the doctor for our next evaluation for Alzheimer's? What is the next thing I should expect I progression? Are there any places that you recommend locally that I can get more information and support? If this is Alzheimer's what treatment options are available for this stage that the patient is in? My friend said that these questions should get you started and on the road to coping with the disease.

What to do after diagnosis?
Work with the doctor that diagnosed the disease to build a medical team for the patient. You will need a neurologist to help with the brain and nervous system. A psychologist will be needed to help cope with the memory loss, judgement issues, and speech. A psychiatrist will be needed to help with the mental well-being of the patient. Some other physicians may have to be on the team for various other problems that occur. Once you get your medical team in place ask as many questions as you can to each of them. Remember, your gain of knowledge is important to help you cope with and take care of the patient. There are support groups that will let the family talk out their frustrations and give them a chance to meet others that are dealing with the same problems. My friend and her mother goes to one and they learn from each other as they talk through their feelings. One thing to remember is when someone in your family gets diagnosed with Alzheimer's it will affect everyone not just the patient. She also goes online to a chat room for family of Alzheimer's patients that gives support.

What are the stages of Alzheimer's?
There are 7 stages of Alzheimer's. Stage one is when the patient shows no signs and is not affected in every day life by the Alzheimer's. Stage two is the true beginning stage and the patient will notice their slight memory loss as in people's names and are likely to misplace things. Stage three is when it is noticeable to others and when the mind starts it's decline in taking in information and keeping it. Stage 4 is when the patient may have trouble remembering the past or even current events and can not do some everyday functions. Stage 5 is when it is considered getting severe and the patient can't remember personal information as in age, mother's name, etc. In this stage the patient could get lost and not remember where they are at times and may need a caregiver to keep an eye on them. Stage 6 is when the patient needs help going to the restroom and getting dressed. This stage is where they start needing complete help and watching over. Stage 7 is when their speech is severely affected and they pretty much are not functional without assistance from another.

No matter what stage they are in they are going to start to need help. It is usually the spouse or significant other that is left to lend care to the patient. If that is the case it is important that you take care of yourself and get yourself some emotional support from a group that deals with Alzheimer's. My friends mother has one day a week where she takes her husband to a adult daycare so she can take a break and get her shopping done and have some time for herself. There are places like this all over now. You can find places like this and support groups by calling the Alzheimer's Association in your area. Use all of the support that you can receive. Good luck and remember that you are who takes care of the patient so don't neglect yourself either.