Alzheimer’s disease also commonly known as dementia begins to form in middle or late age. A person with Alzheimer’s is known to lose their mind, they begin to lose short-term memory, and they forget where they put things. Some are even known to forget who you are or could even turn on you because they don’t remember who you are. Their personality can change; they begin to not know what’s going on around them. They lose the knowledge to balance a checkbook or cook.
Many things can cause this disease to take place. You get older and begin to lose good and healthy brain cells that don’t ever come back, which in turn causes memory loss. Another thing that could happen is they could have a stroke or a car accident. Anything to where you might have had a head injury. What happens in the brain to cause malfunction is the fact that the proteins (called beta-amyloid to be exact) get clogged or stuck to where they can’t get to the other side of the brain to finish its cycle. Or the beta-amyloids that run through the brain get tangled up into other parts of the brain and cause problems.
They got the name Alzheimer because the person who studied the brain and gained knowledge about this condition was named Alois Alzheimer who was a neurologist who lived from 1864-1915.
There will be times when friends and family is going to notice a difference in behavior from the one with Alzheimer’s. The one with Alzheimer’s may not have a clue. And when they do end up coming to terms that they have it, it can cause the patient to feel depressed, ashamed, anxious, hopeless, and maybe ready to die.
Another form of Alzheimer’s is dementia which is very similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is defined as the slow process of deterioration of the brain cells that cause the mind to function properly. Dementia is just another form of Alzheimer’s that usually begins after the age of 60. People who have dementia cause the patient to have emotional apathy which entails a lack of interest, concern, feeling, or emotion. They will withdraw socially.
Unfortunately, there has been found no cure for Alzheimer’s disease but of course, there is medication that could be taken orally to slow the progression of the disease.
Because the patient has lost remembrance in how to do everyday simple tasks, it’s possible the caregiver can label the shelves so they know what’s in what drawer. Even leaving notes on what needs to be done that day to remind them. Giving them a sense of duty like washing dishes or folding laundry gives the patient a sense of well-being. Exercising and eating healthy are very important keys to be doing. Walking often and eating fish is healthy choices to make for your loved one. Playing board games or doing crossword puzzles cause them to keep their brain active and working. Reading is good, playing music, and learning new things could be therapeutic for the suffering patient. These games and exercises make the brain able to breathe and function better.
If you a caregiver dealing with a loved one with this disease, be sure to take time out for yourself. Do something you like to do. Give yourself a break if at all possible. It’s horrible to go through this as the caregiver and the suffering loved one. As long as we work together on this, everything will be ok.
Cited Sources
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers-disease/DS00161
http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/default.htm
