Alzheimer's disease

October 21, 8:38 AMSouth Bend Elder Care ExaminerPamela Weaver Hansen

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Art has Alzheimer's. Trudy, his wife, is the caregiver.

Trudy,

According to the Fort Wayne Neurological Center, the meaning of Alzheimer's disease: The most common form of dementia in older persons that affects many areas of cognitive function. Specific pathological findings have been identified when the brain has been studied under the microscope, although no cure for the disorder has been found.
Hearing a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's can be overwhelming. Hearing you are the one that has been diagnosed may leave you feeling hopeless.

               "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD." Psalms 31:24 NIV

Trudy Brock adds "another phrase we’ve been taught is: ‘You can’t reason with somebody who can’t reason.’ You have to learn to deal with them other ways than reasoning because they don’t follow you on reasoning."

If you are the caregiver of a senior that has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's try to remain positive so you can help them remain positive and move forward. Understanding and preparing now for the later stages of the disease will make it easier for everyone involved. Keeping a positive attitude will help when the bad days hit--and they will hit. The stages to Alzheimer's according to the Alzheimer's Association are:
Stage 1: No impairment (normal function) Unimpaired individuals experience no memory problems and none are evident to a health care professional during a medical interview.
Stage 2: Very mild cognitive decline (may be normal age-related changes or earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease)
Individuals may feel as if they have memory loss and lapses, especially in forgetting familiar words or names or the location of keys, eyeglasses or other everyday objects. But these problems are not evident during a medical examination or apparent to friends, family or co-workers.
Stage 3: Mild cognitive decline
Early-stage Alzheimer's can be diagnosed in some, but not all, individuals with these symptoms
Friends, family or co-workers begin to notice deficiencies. Problems with memory or concentration may be measurable in clinical testing or discernible during a detailed medical interview
Stage 4: Moderate cognitive decline (Mild or early-stage Alzheimer's disease)
At this stage, a careful medical interview detects clear-cut deficiencies
Stage 5:Moderately severe cognitive decline (Moderate or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)
Major gaps in memory and deficits in cognitive function emerge. Some assistance with day-to-day activities becomes essential
Stage 6: Severe cognitive decline (Moderately severe or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)
Memory difficulties continue to worsen, significant personality changes may emerge and affected individuals need extensive help with customary daily activities.
Stage 7:Very severe cognitive decline (Severe or late-stage Alzheimer's disease)
This is the final stage of the disease when individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, the ability to speak and, ultimately, the ability to control movement.

Some myths about Alzheimer's are:

1. Memory loss is part of aging. Experts now recognize severe memory loss as a symptom of serious illness
2. Alzheimer's is not fatal. But the reality is Alzheimer's disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells. It slowly and painfully takes away a person's identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his or her way home.
3. Only older people can get Alzheimer's But the reality is: The disease can strike people in their 30s, 40s and even 50s. This is called younger-onset Alzheimer's.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any signs of Alzheimer's, please see a doctor. Early diagnosis is key to seeking treatment and making plans for the future.