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Alzheimers
Alzheimers damages the brain cells responsible for intellectual functioning in the brain, including memory, intelligence, judgment, and speech. Alzheimers leads to the loss of mental and physical functions.
Alzheimers affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. A small percentage Alzheimer's patients are under 50 years of age. However, most are over 65 years of age. A rare and aggressive form of Alzheimer's can happen in some people in their 40s and 50s.
Symptoms
Memory loss - Memory loss is usually the first noticible sign of Alzheimer's. Memory loss starts slowly, but soon the episodes become more and more frequent. People with Alzheimer's forget things very often. They have trouble remembering answers to questions they may have asked a short time earlier. This causes the person to ask the same question repeatedly.
Trouble performing familiar tasks - As the disease progresses, patients have trouble performing tasks that they have done for a lifetime. Simple, little everyday tasks that we perform without even thinking about may become major obstacles for the Alzheimer's victim.
Poor judgement - Judgement becomes a problem as the disease develops. An example of poor judgement is: The patient may wear clothing that is not suitable for the weather.
Misplacing things - Alzheimer's patients may misplace things often. When the items are found, they are usually in inappropriate places. For instance, food may be put in the clothes closet instead of the refridgerator.
Disorientation - People suffereing from Alzheimer's disease may be unable to tell you where they are, who they are or what they happen to be doing at that moment. They might even forget where live.
What causes Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's is caused by a loss of brain cells, as well as changes in the cerebral cortex (the outer layer of the brain). An accumulation of tangled fibers and/or plaques forms around the nerves in the cerebral cortex. It is unknown why the tangled fibers and plaques develop in the brain.
Research shows that there may be different genetic and nongenetic causes. Some genes cause the disease to appear early in life, while other genes predispose a person to the disease but require a trigger such as stroke, head trauma, or clogged arteries.
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Cure for Alzheimer's?
Unfortunately there is no cure for Alzheimer's. Promising research continues to provide hope to reduce the risk of developing alzheimers. Preparing the appropriate legal documents Alzheimer's care experts also suggest speaking with an elder-law attorney for assistance with documents that provide for power of attorney, power of attorney for healthcare, a living will, living trusts and a will. A power of attorney allows the patient to name a trusted person to make legal decisions when the patient is no longer able to make them. Likewise, a power of attorney for healthcare gives the patient's trusted person the ability to make healthcare decisions for the patient. These decisions include choices about healthcare providers, medical treatment and end-of-life decisions such as tube feeding and ventilator support. A living will allows the patient to state what medical treatment he or she wants offered or withheld. Generally, in the event of "imminent death," the will allows the patient to speak now, in preparation for a time when that is no longer possible. |
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