In
today’s society a common disease that is talked about with older adults aging
is Alzheimer’s disease. We have all heard the commercials on television and the
new research on the news. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, which is a
term for memory loss that causes problems with thinking and behavior (Cavanaugh
& Blanchard-Fields, 2011). It is actually not an age related disease that
most people think it is. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease that the
symptoms worsen over time. There are two stages of Alzheimer’s which are early
onset and late onset. It all depends on how old someone is. If they are
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and are younger than 65 than that would be considered
early onset, and anything 65 and older is late onset (Alzheimer’s Association,
2014). Alzheimer’s disease can even lead to death as it is the sixth leading
cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s effects memory by how the
brain is set up. The brain is set up as a communication network. Brain cells
operate like tiny factories. They gather supplies, create energy, construct
equipment and get rid of waste. From doing research, scientists are not sure where the
trouble starts in the brain with a person who has Alzheimer’s and it prevents
the factories in our brains from running well (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014).
Just like in any factory if one thing breaks down or does not run well can
cause problems in other areas too.
Living
with Alzheimer’s
Finding out that you have Alzheimer’s could set off
emotions including anger, denial, resentment, fear, isolation, and possibly depression.
It is common, but they can be treated. Everybody deals with diagnosis
differently. Some may find writing in a journal helpful, while others may find
seeking out help from family, friends, doctor, or a counselor. Know that you or
a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease is not alone. A helpful way to deal with
this is to have a good support system and to not wait for help to find you, but
for you to go out and seek the help (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014).
Safety
Concerns
Having
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can be difficult to live with since it does
impair the person’s memory. The older adult may not remember family members’
names which can be frustrating if the family member gets upset at them for not
knowing their name (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). A safety concern while living
alone with Alzheimer’s could be remembering how to cook which is very important
to the family member’s safety. A fire could start very quickly and with memory
loss they could forget how to dial 9-1-1 or get out of the house. Another
common safety concern with people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is the
risk of wandering. Getting confused and agitation can make people with the
disease become lost (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). It is very dangerous
especially when living alone as there is nobody watching for changes that may
increase the risk of wandering. Something helpful could be a MedicAlert jewelry
as when they get lost and a citizens find them, they can call the toll free
number on the bracelet to get them home safely (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014).
Balance can also become impaired so a person could fall a lot and then not
remember what happened when going to see the doctor when they get it checked
out.
References
Alzheimer's
Association. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_1973.asp.
Cavanaugh,
J. C. & Blanchard-Fields, F. (2010). Adult development and aging.
Belmont, CA:Wadsworth.
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