Alzheimer's Disease
By: Administrator
Updated: July 21, 2010
Seniors and Alzheimer's Disease
About 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer's can play a negative role in our daily routine including work, hobbies or social life. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. It's a progressive disease that gets worse with time. Alzheimer's does not affect each person the same way. But, there are some symptoms that usually happen as the disease progresses.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease:
- Memory loss
- Trouble naming common items
- Asking for or repeating the same thing over and over
- Getting lost easily
- Losing interest in hobbies and activities
- Losing things more often than normal
- Changes in personality
Taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease can often be challenging. Sometimes, it can even seem like a full-time job. You may need to learn new skills to take care of your loved one's needs. Your daily routine might need to change to make time for care-giving. One of the real struggles that you may face is coping with the many symptoms of A.D. Simply managing your loved one's care from day to day could be difficult. There are also times when your loved one does things that don't seem to make sense. Or, they may behave in ways that upset you. When this happens, remember to be patient and realize your loved one is not acting this way on purpose. Unfortunately, at the moment, there is no cure for A.D. But, there are treatments that might help. If you or a loved one has Alzheimer's disease or has one or more of the signs and symptoms for A.D., it is recommended that both the patient and the care-giver discuss treatment options with their doctor.
