Alzheimers - The Facts

Someone in your family has Alzheimers disease, and you've been gathering info on Alzheimers disease to try to help you make decisions about what to do next, but everything you find is so scientific and complicated. What can you tell your kids to make them understand why their grandfather or uncle doesn't recognize them anymore? The info on Alzheimers disease below is aimed at children and families, so read it together.

Alzheimers: What Is It?

Alzheimers disease is a form of a mental disorder known as "dementia". Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously hampers the brain's ability to process rational or normal thought and inhibits the daily activities of its sufferers because of this. Alzheimers disease, therefore, affects the part of the brain that is responsible for thought, memory, and language.

Alzheimers disease is one of the leading causes of death in America. The German physician Alois Alzheimer first identified this disorder in 1907. This disorder is a serious illness that affects the memory ability of the brain, capability of learning, making rational decisions and capacity to function routinely.

Alzheimers disease robs millions of people each year of their memories, their personalities, and the ability to complete daily activities. For the longest time, it was believed that nothing could be done to prevent this awful disease; that it was simply something that people had to look forward to when they reached their golden years. However, new research indicates that there is a number of ways to prevent Alzheimers disease.

The hallmark sign of Alzheimers disease is the loss of memory. Generally, those 65 years of age or older, begin to concern themselves with this disease at the first episodes of forgetfulness. Although forgetfulness is a sign of Alzheimers disease, it is important to note that there are other signals that may herald the onset of this malady. Therefore, being knowledgeable about Alzheimers, through exhibited signs, and is paramount for our loved one's health as well as our own.

Dealing With Alzheimers

Hearing the news that a family member has received an Alzheimers diagnosis can be an emotionally devastating moment in anyone's life. However, before the Alzheimers diagnosis can be given to the patient and their family, the patient must undergo a variety of laboratory tests, such as medical assessments and laboratory measurements. There is no single test existing that will categorically give the Alzheimers diagnosis.

With this proactive stance, diagnosticians have been able to devise a set of Alzheimers disease testing tools that can detect symptoms of Alzheimers disease in its earlier stages. As of yet, there is no single diagnostic test that is able to determine if a person has Alzheimers disease, but the battery of testing that is available makes it possible for physicians to diagnose it with about 90 percent accuracy. Alzheimers disease testing can take anywhere from one day to several weeks to ensure accuracy and proper diagnosis.

An Alzheimers test is important to ensure that the person isn't just going through the usual memory loss associated with age; however, sometimes an Alzheimers test isn't necessary. Alzheimers disease doesn't just affect a person's memory; it can make people see things that aren't there, and even send them into screaming fits.

If you think a loved one is starting to become senile or experience other symptoms of dementia, you may want that person to undergo Alzheimers testing. Unfortunately, there is currently no definitive test for Alzheimers disease that a person can undergo. The only way doctors diagnose Alzheimers with 100% certainty is through physical examination of the brain after the person has passed away. Rather than Alzheimers testing, what you want to look for is some type of psychological and behavioral screening coupled with extensive tests to rule out other types of dementia.

Living With Alzheimers

Living with Alzheimers can be a crippling experience for both the disease sufferer and the family that is involved. There are many moments of misunderstanding or confusion for most and the symptoms can become frustrating and difficult. The loss of memory and other associated factors can often cause immense separation in families and can create a nervous tension on relationships that is not necessary if suitable information is available and utilized by all parties involved.

Finding in-house Alzheimers help should not be an emotionally laden issue for the entire family. Tackling this need in an organized way, from evaluating to planning, is the key to making in-house Alzheimers help feasible. First, you should sit down and evaluate the needs of the family caregiver and the patient. From there, creating a job list and a set of guidelines becomes easy to make and follow.

Caring for someone with Alzheimers can be a daunting task. You will need all of the support you can get, along with the latest and most significant Alzheimers info and research. It is a confusing time, and the more you know, the more confident you will feel in your ability to give your loved one the best possible care and support. It is also important to build a support network that will help you to avoid the common problems associated with caretaker burnout.

David McFarlane is a proud contributing author and writes articles on alzheimers. You can visit David?s site at http://www.alzheimers-world.com

Tips on Wandering Alzheimer's Patients

It is suggested that nearly 70% of people with Alzheimer's disease will wander away from home and get lost. Wandering is one of the biggest risks for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and is a common but dangerous symptom of the disease. A wanderer is someone with a disease such as Alzheimer's who has wandered away on their own free-will from their caregiver. The risk is evident in the 31,000 Alzheimer's patients who researcher Robert J. Koester estimates wanders per year. When someone with Alzheimer's disease wanders, he or she is disorientated and unable to judge potentially dangerous places and situations. People suffering from severe Alzheimer's disease are more at risk and the incidence of wandering increases.

Alzheimer's patients may suddenly walk off and become lost, frightened or confused. Generally if a patient is found within 24 hours they are returned safely, but after a longer time span the survival rate drops to nearly 50 percent, according to recent studies. It is evident that wandering behavior can be a life threatening incident.

Koester's research provides more insight into wandering in Alzheimer's patients. Those with Alzheimer's disease leave their own residence or nursing home and usually start to wander along roads. Eighty-nine percent of wandering patients are usually found within one mile from the point last seen. If the patient is not wandering along the road (14%), they are usually in a creek or drainage (28%), or caught in bushes or shrubberies (33%). But, the Alzheimer's patient is frequently found wandering a short distance from a road. Unfortunately there are some wanderers who eventually give in to the environment and develop hypothermia or dehydration (35%), or are found deceased (19%).

It is important for you to know that you can help prevent incidents of wandering even though you cannot always guarantee total prevention. If you are aware of the causes of wandering you can minimize the risks of someone with Alzheimer's disease becoming lost. Although wandering remains a risk, there are several things that you can do to help prevent wandering in an assisted living center, long term care facility or at home to ensure that the family's loved one remains safe.

1. Install locks on doors- That is the first place to prevent a wanderer from leaving. However, in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's disease it is more likely for a patient to wander because they usually still remember how to unlock the current locks. Placing hook and eye latches on the outside screen door is proven to be very effective, especially if placed either very high or low on the door. Another method is to place a double key lock on the inside door, but be aware that the patient may begin to panic if they cannot open the door from the inside.

2. Install locks on windows- In general, most people would not consider exiting a building though a window, but an Alzheimer's patient who feels the need to escape would consider. Even windows on the upper levels of a house or facility should be secured. If there are windows that open by sliding side to side, consider placing a piece of wood on the track to keep the window from fully opening. Windows that slide up and down can be protected by putting a nail or screw in the tack to prevent it from completely opening also. If the window uses a crank, consider removing the crank each time after using it to open or close the window, and then hide the crack in an undisclosed place.

3. Build fences and gates- A fence is not as restrictive and offers patients an alternative place to go in relative safety. Chain link fences should be avoided because elderly patients still have the capability of climbing them rather easily. Also, stay away from building a fence with brace beams facing into the secured area because the support beams can provide a foothold for climbing over the fence. In general, a farm fence with square openings too small to be used as footholds is a very good option. Don't forget that it is important that the fence is at least six feet tall so a patient will not try to physically pull themselves over it.

4. Use emergency IDs- Even with safeguards and precautions, patients still could break free. You can make sure that a label with the elderly patient's name and phone number is worn on their clothing at all times. This is important because you can never depend on the patient to carry their ID when they wander, but it is vital that the wanderer can be identified immediately and returned quickly if they go astray.

5. A Patient Wanderer Security System- Accutech's Wanderer Security System (www.Accutech-ICS.com) can provide an assisted living or long term care facility with the security solution needed to monitor and care for their Alzheimer's patients and to help prevent wandering. By use of a Cut Band system, a gentle band and tag is placed around the patient's wrist. Then staff is able to be notified if the band is tampered with or removed and if the patient leaves the room or facility. Such systems are a great way for facilities to help prevent an Alzheimer's patient from wandering.

6. Dress patients in bright colored clothing- It is known that bright and distinct clothing can be spotted from a distance. Dressing in clothing that is easily spotted in a crowd is helpful when taking a patient out of the home or facility and to a public area. It is very easy for an individual with Alzheimer's disease to become separated especially when there is a crowd. It can happen within seconds.

7. Keep all keys in an undisclosed place and out of reach- An individual with Alzheimer's disease may still be able to recognize a key and understand how it is used. A patient that gets a hold of a car key or is able to let themselves out of the home or facility can be gone for miles before being noticed. This does happen and it happens more often than thought.

8. Never leave an Alzheimer's patient alone in the car- According to several surveys each year the number of times an elderly patient is left in the car while the caregiver runs quickly into the store, bank, etc. has significantly increased. Even though you might only think you will be gone for only a few minutes, the Alzheimer's patient is often left in the car for more than15 minutes. You must remember that it only takes seconds for a frightened or panicked individual with Alzheimer's disease to get out of the car and quickly wander away.

9. Avoid leaving an Alzheimer's patient home alone- Determining when an individual with Alzheimer's disease is no longer to be left at home alone for short periods of time can be difficult. This makes it very challenging for someone who is the sole caregiver for a person with Alzheimer's disease. Still, there are several ways to find assistance. One, alert neighbors to keep an eye out for the wandering patient or have a neighbor visit when you are going to be gone for more than a few minutes. Two, use the idea of a babysitter and have a young adult stay with and care for the elderly patient while you are gone. Three, ask for help. Churches, high schools, Boy/Girl Scouts, community centers, senior citizen centers, local Alzheimer's Association chapters and any other group you can uncover could be willing to assist you in caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease.

10. Find other useful materials to help- You often have to be creative to keep an individual with Alzheimer's disease safe by using house hold items. For instance, baby monitors or motion detectors that turn on lamps or radios to alert if a patient is moving around or trying to leave are both items that are either easily found at home or at a store. Another idea is to look through a child safety center for more items to help keep track of an Alzheimer's patient. For example, the elastic bands mother's attach to their wrist and their child's wrist can be a great help when taking an elderly patient into a crowded area. Also, hanging bells on a door can also be a useful alarm.

The risk of wandering in individuals with Alzheimer's disease is very great. You can take precautions to keep patients safe, but even the best caregiver or nurse will have experiences with wandering patients. Take reasonable precautions, don't panic and enlist others to help you care for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Adapted from New Research & Perspectives By Robert J. Koester M.S. Virginia Department of Emergency Management Appalachian Search & Rescue Conference,

Karen Cinpinski is the Marketing Associate at Accutech-ICS (Innovative Control Systems) headquartered in Franklin, Wisconsin. Karen has been vital to the marketing and development of the Accutech product line. Accutech-ICS is a market leader in RFID security systems for infant, pediatric, and long-term care facilities and maintains a strong role in RFID asset tracking solutions. Visit Accutech on the web for more information!

Finding The Right Alzheimer's Care Facility For Your Loved One

No one likes to think that they will put their loved one in a nursing home one day. Unfortunately, most Alzheimer's patients eventually will need to be placed in an Alzheimer's care facility. Because Alzheimer's disease robs a person of his or her ability to handle everyday activities, often families will find they cannot care for their loved one at home. It is usually during the later stages of the disease when patients lose their ability to handle dress themselves, feed themselves and need help going to the bathroom that an Alzheimer's care facility is considered by families.

Once your loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, you should begin planning their move into an Alzheimer's care facility. There are several things to know when looking at an Alzheimer's care facility. You should know how they care for Alzheimer's patients and how much experience they have had in dealing with patients suffering from the disease. Do they separate Alzheimer's patients from the rest of the population?

Some Alzheimer's care facilities specialize in treating Alzheimer's patients. What are the advantages of this type of Alzheimer's care facility over a more traditional nursing home or assisted living facility?

You should anticipate how you will pay for the Alzheimer's care facility. Some long-term insurance polices will cover a stay in an Alzheimer's care facility. Some private insurance companies may cover this expense as well. Many people have set aside funds should they need long-term care and that money is available for the family's to pay for the Alzheimer's care facility.

There are several types of Alzheimer's care facilities. You and your loved one's physician can discuss which Alzheimer's care facility will best suit the needs of the Alzheimer's patient.

Assisted living facilities provide housing, meals, health care and support for Alzheimer's patients. This type of Alzheimer's care facility is also called board and care, adult living and supported care. Many Alzheimer's patients live in this type of Alzheimer's care facility after moving out of their home. This type of Alzheimer's care facility is often a suitable alternative to a nursing home for Alzheimer's patients who can still perform some day to day activities. An assisted living facility is not regulated by the federal government.

Nursing homes are the most well-known type of Alzheimer's care facility. Nursing home patients require constant care and supervision. Nutrition, recreation, medical care and spirituality are handled at this type of Alzheimer's care facility. Nursing homes are regulated by the federal government and may also be subject to state licenses as well.

Some patients want an Alzheimer's care facility that is targeted to their needs. An Alzheimer's special care unit may be found in a nursing home or hospital setting where Alzheimer's patients live within a unit. Treatment at these Alzheimer's care facilities focuses on the needs of Alzheimer's patients.

If you are unsure as to what kind of Alzheimer's care facility your loved one needs, the Alzheimer's Association has an online guide. CareFinder helps families chose the best Alzheimer's care facility. CareFinder teaches families how to seek local support. It also guides families as to how to pay for the Alzheimer's care facility.

For more information on Alzheimers, try visiting http://www.helpwithalzheimers.com - a website that specializes in providing Alzheimers related tips, advice and resources to include information on Alzheimers care facility.

New Hope for Alzheimer's Treatment

There is now widespread agreement among research scientists and medical professionals that Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a problem quickly growing to vast proportions. As the life expectancy of Americans continues to rise, increasing the percentage of the population over 65 years of age, so does the number of Alzheimer's cases.

It is currently estimated that people over 65 years of age have a 10% chance of developing Alzheimer's, while those over 85 have a 50% likelihood of developing AD, making it the leading cause of dementia among older people. Though the disease is associated primarily with memory loss, its effects also comprise a number of other severe disabilities, including changes in personality, disorientation, difficulty with speech and comprehension, and a lack of ability to move normally.

Consequently, most Alzheimer's patients require a great deal of care, costing society close to $100 billion annually. According to Christian Fritze, Ph.D., Director of the Antibody Products Division at Covance Research Products, "The impact of Alzheimer's Disease on our society will only increase as our population ages. The prevalence of the disease and disabling effects on the patient are significant by themselves. In addition we are becoming increasingly aware of the far-reaching effects on families, care-giver networks and the economics of our health care system. The drive for progress towards effective treatments by the research and drug development community is growing stronger every day."

A New Consensus

But recent developments in the medical research community do provide some hope. During the last two years, there has been a growing consensus among Alzheimer researchers about the cause of Alzheimer's disease, providing focus for scientists exploring the new treatment options.

The focus is on amyloid beta oligomers, a new wrinkle on an older hypothesis called the "amyloid cascade hypothesis". Widespread acceptance of this new conclusion is something of a milestone in the history of Alzheimer's research. As Dr. Fritze says, "The decades old quest for the causative agent in Alzheimer's Disease has recently focused on the precursors of amyloid plaques. These precursors are part of a bewildering array of processed (APP) Amyloid Precursor Protein) variants, Tau isoforms and secretase components that play a role in neuronal cytotoxicity and subsequent brain dysfunction."

Amyloid plaques are sticky protein deposits in the brain containing amyloid beta peptide. Researchers have associated the buildup of this plaque with Alzheimer's disease since its discovery in 1907. But despite the clear correlation, scientists were not sure what, exactly, spurred the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.

The hypothesis that amyloid beta accumulation in the brain is the major cause of Alzheimer's Disease1 has been the focus of much attention over the past decade. Although this hypothesis was the leading explanation for the cause of AD, it had several weaknesses. The most obvious problem with the theory was the fact that the buildup of amyloid beta peptides did not necessarily correspond with the severity of Alzheimer's symptoms.

However, in 19982 and in 20023, researchers proposed that it was not the amyloid beta plaques themselves that were neurotoxic - and therefore the cause of Alzheimer's - but rather precursors to amyloid beta plaques formed by smaller aggregates of amyloid beta. These new ideas are gaining widespread acceptance among the Alzheimer's research community, creating a consensus that had not existed before.

This new focus provides one more spur to action for Alzheimer's researchers, and underscores the need for further advancement. "The AD field demands sophisticated, highly-sensitive research tools to track these components and quantitate the existence of monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar amyloid forms present in the progression of Alzheimer's disease," says Dr. Fritze.

Antibody Treatment

Two new studies, both released in October 20044, suggest that new treatment options may be on the horizon. The studies are the modification of one of two previous attempts using amyloid beta (Aβ) antibodies in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. The previous attempts, though not successful, did at least suggest new courses of action in Alzheimer's research and provided invaluable information for researchers.

In the first of the two previous attempts, researchers injected the antigen itself - pieces of the beta amyloid protein that makes up amyloid plaque - into mice, in the hopes that the injections would generate an immune (antibody) response against amyloid. Results were initially positive. The injected antigen produced Aβ antibodies and slowed the onset of the disease by decreasing Aβ levels. However, when tried on humans, the procedure led to meningoencephalitis (an inflammation of tissue around the brain) in some patients, and was therefore halted.

In the second attempt, a passive immunity therapy was tried in which antibodies to amyloid beta (not amyloid protein) were injected into mice, but hemorrhaging and inflammation ensued due to the high antibody doses required to be effective.

New Hope

But now there appears to be new hope for the use of antibodies as therapeutic agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's patients. In the first of the two new studies that appeared in October conducted by the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, NCGG, and the Center for Neurological Diseases, Brigham & Women's College, Harvard Institute of Medicine, researchers modified the first procedure. Concluding that the meningoenchaphalitis which occurred in some patients was caused by autoimmune T-cell activation, the researchers hoped to develop a vaccine that could minimize this T-cell activation while retaining the production of Aß antibodies.

To accomplish this they created an oral vaccine that attached Aß DNA to an adeno-associated virus vector, which served to mitigate T-cell activation. Thus they were able to decrease Aß levels in the brains of the mice and yet not activate T-cells to the degree they had before, greatly reducing the risk of meningoencephalitis.

In the other new study, conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago, researchers succeeded in making the passive immunity protocol much safer. This they accomplished by changing the point of entry for the Aß antibodies. Rather than injecting the antibodies into the body of the mice, as was done previously, antibody was injected directly into the brain of the mice. Because the antibodies were injected directly into the brain, smaller doses were needed, and side effects were minimized.

The results of the above studies, and the potential for further optimized immunization strategies may prove to be watershed events in the history of Alzheimer's treatment.

Covance is a leading provider of innovative antibody products and custom antibody development services to the research community for Alzheimer's disease. Visit http://www.Covance.com for more in-depth information and to view the suite of products for Alzheimer's disease. Boris Predovich is Vice President of Immunology and Surgical Services at Covance Research Products.

Notes

1. J.A. Hardy, G.A. Higgins (1992), Science, 256:184-5.

2. M.P. Lambert et al (1998), Proc Natl Acad Sci, 95:6448-53.

3. D.M. Walsh et al (2002), Nature, 416:535-9.

4. Neelima B. Chauhan et al (2004), Journal of Neuroscience Research, 78, 5:732-741.

Hideo Hara et al (2004), Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 6, 5:483-488.

R. L. Fielding writes on many health-related topics.

What You Should Know About Alzheimer's Stages

Are you fortunate enough to have not been effected by Alzheimer's stages in your family? Then know that November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month and this makes it a good time to reflect on the impact Alzheimer's disease stages has on our population. An estimated 5 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer's disease. New case is diagnosed every 72 seconds.

Alzheimer's is a disease that was first identified in 1906 by German physician Alois Alzheimer. The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is not known. Alzheimer's disease stage tends to affect people who are over 65. However, there is estimated that about 500,000 people who are considered middle-aged have some forms of dementia or Alzheimer's stage.

The risk of developing the disease increases with age. Alzheimer's disease has many symptoms that are often quite obvious and require medical attention. Some of them are memory loss, difficulty performing normal daily tasks, disorientation with time and place, changes in personality, loss of initiative and depression.

This deadly disease progresses through different Alzheimer's stages. The memory is usually the first to go and can be notice by family members. Patients' ability to think clearly is gradually lost over time.

When disease moves to the next Alzheimer's stage other people usually start notice as well, because patients may do things that are consider being strange. Some who were consider a calm person may become agitated or easily upset. Also behaviour problems and communication difficulties may surface.

Support and help can be provided by social services for those with Alzheimer's disease but when the things move to the next Alzheimer's stage that's when full-time residential care may be necessary and family of the patients has to make this painful decision. For people in severe Alzheimer's stages it may be difficult to perform everyday tasks, they may not recognise people around them or their surroundings.

Several things are known about ALZHEIMER'S STAGE. The main one, there is no cure just like many degenerative neurological diseases. Alzheimer is progressive disease, which means it always get worse, and the effects are irreversible. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Undoubtedly someone you know will or has some form of dementia. So, especially this month of November Take One Moment to think about all these who are affected by Alzheimer's disease. If You Are Worried About Loved Ones who developed Alzheimer's disease stage you can find more information at http://www.squidoo.com/Alzheimers-stages

Coping With Alzheimer's

BACKGROUND

Today there are between 5 and 6 million people in the United States who suffer with Alzheimer's disease and over 100 million people who have known a family member, a friend, or a neighbor who has had Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's disease has touched so many people that it has had a large impact on all of our lives. As your life expectancy goes up so do your chances of getting Alzheimer's. It is unknown who in our circle will become affected by this disease--our mother, our father, our friend--so, learning how to cope with Alzheimer's is a concern for everyone.

PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST

If one of your loved ones has Alzheimer's, one of the most important ways of coping is learning to take care of yourself. There are different stages or Alzheimer's and each stage is progressively more limiting. This makes each new stage more demanding for the loved ones. When Alzheimer's strikes someone you love, it can become all consuming. Realize that Alzheimer's is a marathon, not a sprint. It is important not to let the disease take over every corner of your life. It is okay to put yourself first.

Many family members experience a lot of guilt. Replacing the feelings of guilt with the commitment to take care of your needs and wants can make it easier to handle all of the problems that Alzheimer's brings. Everyone who loves the person with Alzheimer's experiences loss, which increases as the disease progresses. Develop a support network early on. You will need to know where you can turn for the help you will need. When others offer help-take it!

The loss is especially acute for the primary family caregiver. If you are a family caregiver, you need to plan regular respite for yourself. Your need for support is considerable. Whether you get respite from family and friends or from professionals (All For You Home Care), coping with Alzheimer's means making sure that you get regular "time away".

Throughout the Sacramento region there are support groups where family members affected by Alzheimer's can come together. Many find such groups very comforting. Here they can listen to others, gain pragmatic ideas, get information, share their own pain and frustrations, cry, and even laugh. Others find it helpful to seek professional counseling with a therapist or doctor. There are also different on-line groups where people can get help and support.

COMMUNICATION

To cope with Alzheimer's it is essential to learn techniques for better communication. Following are tips that have helped others communicate with their loved one who has Alzheimer's. It is important to remember that no matter what you do, communication with someone with Alzheimer's will always be difficult.

Ask one question at a time

If you ask more than one question at a time, you will only confuse the matter for the person with Alzheimer's. This will make it less likely for them to be able to answer your question.

Be careful not to interrupt

When you interrupt a person with Alzheimer's it makes it more difficult for them to complete a thought.

Be patient

A person with Alzheimer's may take a long time to respond to your question or thought. Be patient and remember that they are doing the best that they can.

Call your loved one by their name

One of the first things we learn in life is our name. When you want anyone's attention it is best to use their name, but with someone with Alzheimer's it is particularly important.

Do not argue

It is difficult not to argue with the person with Alzheimer's because many of the things they are likely to say make no sense to most of us. It can be difficult not to respond in what seems like a reasonable and rational manner. It is important to remember that the disease that has captured their brain distorts their view of things. You cannot argue them into reality. You will only make things more unpleasant.

Encourage pointing

Pointing or gesturing is often an easier and more effective form of communication for someone with Alzheimer's. Do not limit communication to the use of words.

Have their attention before speaking

The person with Alzheimer's may not be attending to you. Before you speak, get their attention.

Listen as long as they are struggling to speak

When the person with Alzheimer's is struggling to say something, you will need to listen as long as it takes for them to express themselves. When they are struggling with this task, it can seem like a very long time.

Listen carefully for the meaning behind the words

Frequently the person with Alzheimer's may use the wrong words. Rather than responding to the exact words, attend to what they are trying to communicate.

Pronounce words carefully

Often we get very casual with how we pronounce words because most people are able to understand us even when we are not careful with the precise pronunciation. For the person with Alzheimer's it is important to be precise in how you speak.

Speak at eye level

Making eye contact can make sure that you have their attention. You can only do this when you are facing them and it is easiest if you are at the same level eye to eye.

Stay calm

Speaking in a hurried or loud voice makes it more difficult for the person with Alzheimer's to respond appropriately. If you speak in an intense manner, the person with Alzheimer's may become agitated and escalate the situation.

Talk slowly

When you speak quickly, it is hard to sort out the specific words you are saying. Much like when someone is trying to learn a foreign language, they are more likely to understand if the words are spoken slowly.

Try to read facial expressions

Struggling to express thoughts through words is difficult for the person with Alzheimer's, yet they are likely to make facial expressions associated with what they are attempting to say. This is especially true when what they are trying to say is something they feel strongly about.

Use simple words

When you are trying to communicate with someone with Alzheimer's it works a lot better to use short, simple words. Using words with one syllable is best.

When you don't understand, guess. Guessing is a way of prompting and this can help the person with Alzheimer's find the right words.

INDEPENDENCE

Independence is an important value for all of us. It is something that none of us would give up willingly. The loss of independence is a tragedy for those suffering with Alzheimer's.

Early in the course of Alzheimer's, the disease may be difficult to diagnose. At this stage, the person with the disease is still capable of exercising judgment and decision-making in most situations. They may have only minor disabilities and need little help to be safe. At this point, thinking about taking away their independence is likely to build mistrust. It is important to support the person with Alzheimer's desire to be independent for as long as possible. There is one exception to this approach. In the case of driving the risk is high and the danger so extreme, that the person with Alzheimer's should stop driving when they are first diagnosed with the disease.

SAFETY

At some point, the judgment of a person with Alzheimer's will become compromised. They will become increasingly dependent on others to make decisions on their behalf. The time period when safety becomes an issue varies. Alzheimer's is a physical disease that attacks the brain and effects personality, behavior and mood. The person with Alzheimer's develops problematic behavior and troubling personality changes. Even small changes and transitions become very difficult. Now is the time when you will have to consider the living situation of your loved one for the first time.

There is no cookie cutter answer for how to cope with this period of life. Making the decision more complicated is knowing that change is incredibly difficult for the person afflicted. Can a professional caregiver come into the home and care for both the loved one with Alzheimer's as well as the spouse? Would this be easier for them because of the difficulty of dealing with changes? Should the desire to stay home be considered? Can your loved one live with another family member? Would your loved one do better in an elder care facility? What role should cost play? How much money is available for care? At this stage people with Alzheimer's cannot make decisions for themselves, and the family needs to begin making these tough decisions. This is a difficult time full of difficult choices.

ALL FOR YOU HOME CARE

All For You Home Care takes care of many people who have Alzheimer's disease. We keep the older person as independent as possible for as long as possible. Professional caregivers come into their homes and provide supervision, housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, mind stimulation, personal attention and social support. We also provide support for the entire family. Knowing that your loved one is safe and cared for is an effective way of coping with Alzheimer's disease.

All For You Home Care is located in Sacramento California, serving all surrounding areas. Visit http://www.allforyouhomecare.com.

Evelyn was born and has lived her entire life in California. She graduated from the University of Davis with a major in psychology. Following graduation she took a position working with elementary age children. At the age of 26, she applied for and received a license from the California State to operate a residential program for troubled children. She was the President and CEO of this company and built the business to over 1000 employees. She became interested in senior care when, with the help of some terrific caregivers, both her mother and my father were able to live their entire lives at home even as ailments took their toll. She realized how precious this opportunity was and wanted to give others the joy of this experience. Five years ago she formed a corporation to provide in-home care services for seniors. The name of this business is All For You Home Care.

21 Astounding Facts And Figures About Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease represents a dismal future for older adults in this country. An Alzheimer's diagnoses is the most devastating news that one can receive from a Doctor as it relates to personal health or the healthy of a loved ones. There are no drugs on the market that can cure Alzheimer's. The diagnosis is an agonizing death sentence because death is the final result.

The most frustrating part of the Alzheimer's crisis is there is no known single cause. There are some specific statistics concerning Alzheimer's that may help you understand the wide spread devastation of this disease and how it can impact families, communities. and the nation as a whole.

These facts and figures were provided from the database of the Alzheimer's Association National Office Chicago, IL. and a combination of other white papers, USA government research. grants on Alzheimer's.

In the vast majority of cases, age is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's.

1) The odds of developing Alzheimer's double every five years over age 65, and by age 85, the odds of developing the disease are 1 in 2.

2) Alzheimer's comes in third as the most expensive illness for older people. Heart attack and cancer are numbers 1 and 2.

3) The federal government budgeted $645 million for Alzheimer's research for 2007.

5) The federal government will spend 7 million less in 2007 than the government spent in 2006.

6) In contrast, $2.6 billion was allocated for research into HIV/AIDS, which afflicts only one million Americans.

7) After 100 years there is no cure and no drug that stops the devastation of the brain cells of Alzheimer's patients.

8) After only 10 years, AIDS went from being a death sentence to being a manageable disease.

9) Alzheimer's disease affects approximately 4.5 million people in the U.S.

10 There are over 12 million people nationwide affected by Alzheimer's.

11). Current direct and indirect cost of caring for the 4.5 million of Americans with Alzheimer's disease are at least 100 Billion annually.

12) The duration of the disease can last from 3-20 years.

13) $200 million in research grants have been awarded from The Alzheimer's Association for since 1982

14) By the year 2050, 11.3 million to 16 million Americans are predicted to have Alzheimer's disease.

15) People with Alzheimer's disease survive about 1/2 as long as those of similar age that do not Alzheimer's disease.

16) More than 7 out of 10 people with Alzheimer's disease live at home, where almost 75 percent of their care is provided by family and friends.

17) One half of all nursing home residents have Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder.

18) Nursing home care costs approximately $42,000 per year but can go as high as can $70,000 per year in some areas of the country.

19) The average lifetime cost of care for an individual with Alzheimer's is $174,000.

20) Medicare costs for beneficiaries with Alzheimer's are expected to increase 75 percent, from $91 billion in 2005 to $160 billion in 2010.

21) Medicaid expenditures on residential dementia care will increase 14 percent to $24 billion in 2010, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association.

The fact and figures relating to Alzheimer's are grim and offer little hope. However researchers, scientist are finding clues daily to the cause of this disease. There is a national movement from private and public sources dedicated to defeating this disease.

The human spirit can not be defeated. There is hope. Azheimer's disease is a disease that will be defeated by the ingenuity and creative endeavors of thousands of brilliant minds whose aim in life is to find the cause and the cure for Alzheimers and other related dementias.

For more information on alzheimers statistics, treatment, caregiving, and support resources, please visit http://www.alzheimersdiseasetips.com for helpful tips. Be sure to read the article on alzheimers disease early symptom detection.

Cause of Alzheimer's Disease - The Final Flight From Personal Responsibility

Waiver

This information is offered for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If your child, teen, or you have any health concerns, please consult your health care provider.

**********************************

Looked at from outside of the "disease model," the medical and pharmaceutical industries are pushing; Alzheimer's could be described as the "final flight from personal responsibility." This is important information for Alzheimer's caregivers. The actual cause of Alzheimer's symptoms is a long progression of ongoing selfish, controlling, irresponsible choices that the Alzheimer's patient has been indulging in since early childhood.

Symptoms

Alzheimer's, currently the nemesis of the elderly, is now the seventh leading cause of death in America. The costs for treatment are going through the roof. Prior to death, the Alzheimer's patient experiences confusion, disorientation of time and place, changes in mood, behavior, and personality, impaired judgment, difficulty finding words, finishing thoughts, and following directions. It starts out as "harmless forgetting" and usually ends in insanity.

Outlandish acts and bizarre behaviors are signs that the sufferer is regressing. Many patients refuse to bath or change clothes, eat without utensils, ruthlessly kill pets, walk outside their homes naked, hoard food items, become viciously angry, swear, berate, complain, threaten, hit people, and throw objects at family members and caretakers,

They suffer delusions, hallucinations, become suspicious, and often imagine that relatives are stealing their money. They have seizures, or lose the ability to speak or understand their native language.

Some are able to recall past events in detail-- events that occurred twenty years ago. However, many cannot seem to remember what happened five minutes ago. They may stop recognizing the faces of loved ones. Eventually, as time goes on, memory appears to become irreversibly obliterated. If one lives long enough, nerve cells in the brain motor cortex may deteriorate, destroying the person's ability to walk, talk, or swallow.

Causes

Most medical professionals insist on calling Alzheimer's a "disease." Some researchers claim to have found "physical markers" in the brains of sufferers, which they assume are "proofs" that the symptoms result from a physical cause. However, in spite of what they might think, they are actually putting the cart before the horse.

The cause of Alzheimer's is not biological. The late-in-life loss of mental functions is caused by a lifetime of selfish control, denial, and irresponsibility. Many highly responsible people eventually "get" Alzheimer's. However, in relation to love, rightness, and truth most have probably been extremely irresponsible. Their "responsibility" and motivation were directed toward control and power seeking. They are highly and selfishly responsible for getting what they want.

Such individuals, for most of their lives, likely were not very responsible to family members or others they interacted with closely, not in truly loving ways. This has probably spilled over to include Alzheimer's caregivers.

Brain damage

The damage to physical brain tissue that medical researchers see in brain scans has a "psychological history." The physical damage was created by the "psychic energies" that they used during a lifetime of selfish, controlling choices.

The physical brain damage occurred much the same way that the psychic energies of suppressed, intense angry and blameful psychological energies, over time, have the ability to alter normal physical gastrointestinal structure. Negative psychic energies when concentrated can be harsh and caustic; they can irritate stomach lining, and may even produce a stomach ulcer.

The essential cause, in that case, had to do with the negative choices that the person suffering the stomach problem had been making over a long period of time. That is not too unlike what has happened to the Alzheimer's patient.

How it happened

The Alzheimer patient consciously and systematically has been blocking memories using psychic energies; memories that the person did not want to consciously remember or be responsible for. This blocking process probably started in early childhood and was in reaction to the abusive and sexually abusive choices of one or both extremely selfish and unloving parents.

The parents' wrong choices set the child up to make wrong, reactive choices of his or her own that included selfishly controlling choices and blocking out disturbing, embarrassing, or unflattering memories from conscious awareness. That memory blocking likely became a convenient and lifelong pattern with far-reaching negative consequences.

The Alzheimer's patient's physical deterioration was likely caused by negative psychic energies which he or she subconsciously kept focusing on physical brain centers to block normal memory function, and keep unwanted memories from entering conscious awareness. Every selfish person does this, we all have done it, but the Alzheimer patient has done it to consistent extremes that ultimately created the chemical and structural changes scientists observe in dead Alzheimer's patients.

Running

Alzheimer's patients have spent their entire lives running from the truth about themselves and their abusive, especially sexually abusive parent-family experiences. They have been enacting patterns of dishonesty, and have been extremely controlling their expression, memory, and feeling since they were grade-schoolers.

Initially, their reactions related to their parents. However, if they were typical incest survivors (whose strong toxic feelings, reactions, and behavior patterns went unresolved), their reactions were directed to their children, who characteristically and reactively ended up sexually abusing their own children.

Their "sexually-related baggage" may have also driven many to be promiscuous outside of their marriages. Those unfaithful acts significantly added to their list of actions that they would not, could not, and must not remember!

Pulling the switch

After a lifetime of accumulated wrong choices that included an extreme and willful control of memory, Alzheimer's patients subconsciously decided to "lose it." Their memory loss is a relatively minor and harmless symptom of their disorder, although it is being made to appear the predominant symptom.

Other common symptoms include a bad, spiteful, malicious, revengeful attitude, coupled with angry, violent outbursts. Doctors and other Alzheimer's caregivers, especially family members usually do not talk about the patient's generally uncooperative, manipulative paranoid, fearful, and dishonest demeanor. Such symptoms have nothing to do with brain plaques or tangles. They have nothing to do with any physical brain issues. Their origins and the true cause of Alzheimer's are psychological, not biological. []

Read more free articles about mental health, mental illness, Alzheimer's disease by Neil Mastellone. Visit http://www.UpfrontBuzz.com

Be amazed by insightful, free clairvoyant full-length readings by Jean Mastellone on Alzheimer's Patients.

Jean details subconscious exchanges between Alzheimer's Patients, their parents, and their children long before Alzheimer's symptoms developed.

Go to http://www.UpfrontBuzz.com/12c-adult-alzheimers.htm

Baby Boomers as Alzheimer's Care Givers

The majority of people caring for an Alzheimer affected parent are Baby Boomers. When thrust into the roll of care giver there are things that you can do to better cope with responsibilities.

The following is an excerpt from the book Into the Mist, When Someone You Love Has Alzheimer's Disease by Deborah Uetz

Expectations: Coping and Solutions:

Personal Expectations and Acknowledging Successes

Learn to acknowledge your successes, even if is only a silently celebrated sense of accomplishment. It is imperative to remember that you are, indeed, human and when faced with caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease, it is a process through which you will have both successes and failures. You will make mistakes. Your mistakes will rarely, if ever, be of any significant proportion. You will have successes. Just as important as it is to learn from our mistakes, it is important to learn from the successes. Do not be afraid to be human throughout the process.

Know your limitations. Knowing your weaknesses and limits is a tremendous strength. But knowing your limitations if you are unwilling to ask for help is an exercise in futility. If you know your limitations but constantly disavow their impact on caregiving or your won well-being as a caregiver, you are likely to compromise both your own well-being and that of the person with Alzheimer's disease. Challenge yourself to tackle things you think you cannot do, but learn to know when you are pushing too far and you and your caregiving will suffer as a result.

At the same time, know your strengths. If you are prone to expecting failure before you begin, you will experience failure. It is just as important to acknowledge your strengths as it is your weaknesses, and to capitalize on your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.

One of the toughest challenges you will face is assessing your situation realistically and adjusting your expectations accordingly. The expectation that you will be able to care for the person with Alzheimer's disease by yourself throughout the course of his or her illness may or may not be realistic for you. It is unrealistic for most people. This does not mean that nursing facilities are the only options. You do have options, but you must be willing to avail yourself of them. If you doggedly adhere to your elevated expectations despite evidence that they are unrealistic and not working, you are damaging both yourself and your loved one who has Alzheimer's.

Try to understand where your unrealistic expectations spring from. Perhaps you know someone who was able to independently care for a person with Alzheimer's disease and you believe you should be able to do the same. This is a mistake. No two individuals are the same, nor are their situations. And you did not live in the house with that person - there may well have been problems with caregiving that you are not aware of and the person is not telling you about.

You may expect that it is your duty as a spouse or responsible family member to shoulder the responsibility on your own. Again, this is a mistake. Part of being a responsible and loving family member is to do what is best for everyone involved, and that includes both you and the person with Alzheimer's. Often, caring for this person on your own will not be the best for either of you. Caregiver burnout is common and it will affect your well-being, as well as that of your loved one. It is much easier to avoid burnout when you have assessed your situation realistically, thrown the phrases "I should be....." or "I should do......." out the window, and set a realistic standard for yourself and the people around you.

If you find yourself caught up in a cycle wherein you feel as if you have nothing but failures, you need to find ways to break out of that cycle. Talk to friends and family members who may be able to help you engage in a reality check, including helping you to see your successes and adjust your expectations. People who have dealt with Alzheimer's in their own family may be particularly helpful. Support groups may also be an invaluable resource at these times - either online support groups or one available in your community. People who have filled shoes similar to yours have often felt the same emotions and can be adept at helping you to achieve a greater balance in how you view your situation.

If you have faced reality and really are in a situation where failures are destined based on the circumstances, reevaluate the whole environment and the circumstances that are continually causing problems. Take a realistic look at things that you can change and what needs to be done to affect changes. This may require making difficult decisions and enlisting the help of others to help you make changes, but it may be necessary. If you are, indeed, evaluating accumulating problems realistically, the aggregation of difficulties may be an indication that significant changes are in order.

Expectations of the Person with Alzheimer's Disease

Educate yourself about Alzheimer's disease. Read the chapters in this book that provide information about Alzheimer's behaviors, problems that often arise during the course of the disease, and what happens to the brain afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. Read, also, about solutions to frequently encountered problems.

Encourage the individual with Alzheimer's to independently undertake tasks they are able to, help with those that require assistance, and learn to recognize when you must step in and do things for the person with Alzheimer's. This may take time and some trial and error and it will change over time. If, however, your expectations do not change, you will find the individual increasingly unable to meet those demands. Make flexibility your rule.

No one wants to appear incompetent and, particularly early in the course of the disease, people cover up their deficits. While it preserves dignity, it also leads people to expect more of the person with Alzheimer's than he or she may be able to handle. Abilities also fluctuate, sometimes from minute to minute. This may be due to a number of factors, including brain damage that is only partial and allows sporadic transmission of information. In addition, skills in various areas of functioning will be impaired or preserved to different degrees - an ability to tackle one task successfully does not mean that a task that requires slightly different skills can be accomplished. You will need to learn through some trial and error, through careful observation, and via learning about Alzheimer's disease in general what your affected family member can safely accomplish independently and when you will need to step in and help.

Overwhelmingly the behavior problems that arise during the course of Alzheimer's disease are due to the effects of the disease and the brain damage it causes. This is not to say, though, that a person's characteristics are erased when they have Alzheimer's. For example, stubbornness in an individual who is characteristically stubborn may persist. Early in the course of the disease, some behavior problems may be due to her preexisting stubbornness, to psychological factors, or may be compounded by new disease variables. Even early in the course of the disease, she will be far less able to guide and choose her behaviors than she was prior to the onset of Alzheimer's, so you must always take the disease variable into account even very early in the disease. You will need to learn how to tell the difference between willfulness and behaviors that are more rooted in the disease. Although it is next to impossible to be right all of the time when forced to make these distinctions, it will help both you and the person with Alzheimer's if you are as sensitive as possible to the differences between disease-based problems and the individual's own characteristics.

In the early stages of the disease, the problems that arise may be due to more of a mixture of the person's preexisting personality and the disease process. As the disease progresses, it is increasingly the disease that is causing problems, and during the middle and later stages, it is essentially entirely Alzheimer's that causes the behaviors and psychopathologies that are so problematic.

Keep treating the person with Alzheimer's in a respectful and loving way. This may seem axiomatic, but it is all too easy to talk down to a person with Alzheimer's disease. Being treated with respect and dignity is as important to someone with Alzheimer's as it is to anyone else, perhaps more as the disease begins to rob them of abilities. Too often people with Alzheimer's are treated in infantile ways and it is demoralizing. Your expectations must constantly be adjusted and at times the person's behavior will be reduced to childlike levels, particularly as the disease progresses. You will need to find a balance between empowering the person with Alzheimer's, treating him or her with respect and dignity, and still guiding and caring for that person in ways that are similar to how you might care for a young child. Throughout, think about how you would like to be treated were you in the same position: the golden rule is a good rule of thumb.

Expectations of Others

You may believe that your friends and family will be involved in your loved one's care and in many cases they will be. Here, too, you will fare best if you throw your "should" thoughts out the window - people often do not behave as we think they "should," and expecting people to participate in care in ways we think they "should" often leads to disappointment and anger.

As early as can be managed in your loved one's illness, it is important to put plans in place that detail what role others will play in your loved one's care. If possible, hold a family meeting to outline how each family member will contribute, the limitations to the contributions individual family members can or will make, and how to capitalize on individual strengths most effectively. Be flexible as needs may change over time. It is imperative that you tell people specific things they can do to help you when help is offered. The offer may not be repeated as time goes on.

If you are the spouse of an Alzheimer's patient, you will find the jobs that were filled by your spouse now fall on your shoulders. Regardless of how busy you become your grass will grow, gutters will clog, dust will fall, and finances will need to be handled. Seemingly unimportant little things can become major stressors if you have no one to help you.

If you are the adult child of a person with Alzheimer's, your roles will also shift. You may be asked to undertake personal and practical care tasks that are uncomfortable, and you will often find yourself in a parental role as the person's ability to do things independently diminishes. This all occurs in the context of adult children leading their own complicated and busy lives, sometimes leaving these offspring feeling overwhelmed.

Plan ahead for the time you will need to take care of the jobs that have been shifted from your spouse's or parent's shoulders to yours, and for the tasks that you generally undertake yourself but which are now coupled with caregiving. Take time early in the course of the disease to investigate services available to the person with Alzheimer's and the family. Talking to other families that have experienced Alzheimer's in the family, or finding information through libraries and the Internet, may help you to anticipate problems you had not considered. The more you know about available services and financial assistance, the less you will be thrown for a loop by the unanticipated.

The hardest task may be to redefine how you view family members. Families tend to work as systems, and the roles that many families use to conceptualize each person's place in the family help to organize the system in peoples' minds. Note that these roles are often tacit; many of you may be saying to yourself, "Our family doesn't do that. We view each person as an individual." That may or may not be true of your family. Take the time to look as objectively as possible at your family to analyze if people have been pigeonholed in certain roles.

The family will operate most effectively if each person is allowed to contribute based on his or her strengths, and is allowed to contribute in ways that you may not expect. Try to see your family members as you may never have seen them before - see the possibilities and the strengths in the person, regardless of how you may have thought about that individual in the past. Not all family members will be able to contribute significant help during this process, but do not make the mistake of counting people out prematurely.

Being flexible throughout the process will help you deal more effectively with the variety of issues that will arise. Changes that occur throughout the course of the disease will require continual decision-making and changes in family structure. Offspring will have to make decisions for a parent, thus altering the traditional parent-offspring roles. Some siblings may be called on or may assume more active roles in caregiving and decision-making than others.

If your family is excessively rigid when it comes to shifting roles and responsibilities, it may help to seek brief professional assistance at various points along the way. Even one family meeting with a mental health professional or a combination of involved professionals may help to sort through and solve temporary practical and emotional roadblocks.

Deborah Uetz
Author of Into the Mist, B.S. Education, E-zine Expert, online support monitor website http://www.intothemist.us

An Alzheimer's Symptom Is More Than Just Forgetting

Most people think the only Alzheimer's symptom is forgetting. But Alzheimer's symptoms go beyond Grandma forgetting where she put her glasses. Alzheimer's disease robs men and women of their ability to think clearly by slowly destroying brain cells. An Alzheimer's symptom often shows itself gradually, progressing from what seems to be simple memory loss to a total dependence of the patient on a family member or caregiver.

An Alzheimer's symptom may often disguise itself as just an every day lapse in memory, or irritability at a daily situation. Family members may dismiss the Alzheimer's symptom in their loved one as simply a sign of getting older. The Alzheimer's Association has complied a list of symptoms that should serve as warning signs to families who think they have Alzheimer's disease.

Memory loss is the most well-known Alzheimer's symptom. If you tell Grandpa he is going to the grocery store and he forgets 20 minutes later, he may have Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's patients have difficulty planning and doing everyday activities. They often forget what you just told them but may remember a story form childhood.

Not completing everyday activities is another Alzheimer's symptom. The grandmother who used to cook large Sunday dinners will have a hard time making a sandwich for herself. Bills may pile up on a table, unpaid because the Alzheimer's patient can't remember and has lost track of them.

Alzheimer's patients may have a hard time telling their loved ones that about their difficulties--another Alzheimer's symptom. They can't find the right words to say or their words are hard to understand.

Another Alzheimer's symptom is losing a sense of time and place. There are well-publicized accounts of Alzheimer's patients getting lost after wandering away from home. They also may not remember how to get home from a simple shopping trip.

Seeing Grandma with a fur coat on in July is another Alzheimer's symptom. Dementia patients lack good judgment. This is why telemarketers prey on the elderly--their lack of judgment often leads them to give away large sums of money.

If your loved one has lost track of his or her money, it is another Alzheimer's symptom. The grandfather who was once a financial wizard may forget how to balance his checkbook. Simple math problems are now complex.

In fact, you may find Grandpa's checkbook in the microwave oven--another Alzheimer's symptom. Alzheimer's patients often forget where they have placed things because they put them in strange places. While it can be comical to find Grandma's support hose in the refrigerator, it a serious sign something is wrong.

A common Alzheimer's symptom shows itself in personality changes. Mood swings are common in Alzheimer's patients. Men and women who were once independent cling to relatives. They are anxious, scared and confused. The patients may sleep a lot and when they are awake have no desire to venture outside the homes.

An Alzheimer's symptom or symptoms will vary from person to person. Those who believe his or her loved one has Alzheimer's disease should talk with their doctor about the Alzheimer's symptom.

For more information on Alzheimers, try visiting http://www.helpwithalzheimers.com - a website that specializes in providing Alzheimers related tips, advice and resources to include information on Alzheimers symptoms.

The Alzheimer's Association Doesn't Forget

When the Alzheimer's Association was formed in April of 1980, many people were still doubting the disease existed. In the years before the Alzheimer's Association was formed, many people thought the symptoms of the disease where simply a sign of getting older.

The mission of the Alzheimer's Association is "a world without Alzheimer's disease," according to the organization's website. Individuals and businesses fund the nonprofit organization, that in turn funds research and local programs.

According to the organization's website, the Alzheimer's Association began in 1980 with a budget of only $75,000 and only seven chapters located in Boston, Columbus, Minneapolis, New York City, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Seattle. It was that same year that major medical organizations began looking at the disease. The National Institute of Health allotted $13 million for Alzheimer's research. The nonprofit organization now has more than 600 chapters across the nation and is a multi-million dollar institution. According to the Alzheimer's Association website, since its inception the organization has funded more than 1,400 projects totaling more than $185 million.

Ironically, the most famous person stricken with the disease gave the Alzheimer's Association one of its biggest public-awareness boosts. The first National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Week was declared by President Ronald Reagan in 1982. Later Reagan would be the most famous Alzheimer's patient in the world.

Through its local chapters, the Alzheimer's Association offers support groups, referral services and free information to the public. The local chapters and the national Alzheimer's Association rely on tax-deductible donations and fundraisers to continue funding research, offer support and educate the public about Alzheimer's.

Many communities across the nation participate in the annual Memory Walk, an Alzheimer's Association fundraiser that remembers those suffering from the disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than $200 million has been raised by Memory Walk since 1989.

After many highly-publicized stories of Alzheimer's patients wandering away from their homes or nursing homes, the organization began the Alzheimer's Association Safe Return program which works much like similar programs for children. Family members pay $40 to enroll their loved one in the program. The Alzheimer's Association provides 24-hour, 365-day support if the patient becomes missing. Their information is given to local authorities by the Alzheimer's Association to help in the search. The enrolled patient is given an identification bracelet or necklace and iron-on clothing labels.

The Alzheimer's Association also refers caregivers to families needing support. Not only does the Alzheimer's Association have a list of agencies and individuals providing care, but the organization also has information on how to pay for care, the different types of care available and answers about how to handle tax liability.

The Alzheimer's Association also has a support line that is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By calling 1-800-272-3900, family members and those affected by Alzheimer's can get information and referrals. When family members are overwhelmed and patients are confused about the effects of the disease, the first place they usually call is Alzheimer's Association.

For more information on Alzheimers, try visiting http://www.helpwithalzheimers.com - a website that specializes in providing Alzheimers related tips, advice and resources to include information on Alzheimers association.

Straight Answers About Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's can strike without warning, and over a long period of time. What you first suspect are just warning signs of aging become much more alarming signs. Sure, we all forget where we put that bill, or our glasses or our car keys, but not every day. While we all lose track of our days, more often than not we can figure out what day or time it is without too much trouble.

So how do you know when you might be suffering from simple forgetfulness or something worse, like the early stages of Alzheimer's? Knowledge of Alzheimer's disease information can give you peace of mind. If not, then knowledge is also power, and you can take steps to determine if you or a loved one might be suffering from early state Alzheimer's by visiting your doctor.

Alzheimer's disease information is widely available, not only through the Alzheimer's Association website but also from your doctor, books and outreach sources. The slow and devastating progression of Alzheimer's can strike any gender and any socioeconomic portion of society. The death of former President Ronald Reagan, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's years ago, brought the disease to the forefront of the news, followed by widely televised shows about the disease and how it affects the human psyche.

Alzheimer's disease information is necessary so that family and friends can keep an eye on one another as we age. New drugs to slow or inhibit the progression of Alzheimer's are being released into the market every year in the hopes that the disease process may one day be halted and a cure found.

Recent Alzheimer's disease information studies have released the fact that nearly 10% of all people over the age of 65 suffer from one stage or another of Alzheimer's. Fifty percent of those over 85 years old are also stricken every year. Alzheimer's is not a normal aging process, but one that robs people of their memories and cognitive abilities. Alzheimer's disease information studies have also projected that by the year 2050, more than 40 million people in the United States alone will suffer from the disease, and patient cost for treatment will amount to $40 thousand per patient! Additional Alzheimer's disease information studies have shown a hereditary link for acquiring Alzheimer's, and that in such cases, family members in their late 40's and early 50's are contracting the disease.

Alzheimer's disease information is good to know when you think a loved one may possibly be exhibiting signs of Alzheimer's, such as chronic memory loss, difficulty with language skills, disorientation, inability to think clearly, and changes in mood or behavior, although these are just a few of the more common signs and symptoms of the disease. Alzheimer's disease information offers all of us a head start on not only recognizing the devastating disease, but a chance to stay one step ahead of it in planning care for our loved ones. If you believe that you or someone you know may be susceptible for Alzheimer's, then gather as much Alzheimer's disease information as you can and be proactive in providing prompt care.

For more information on Alzheimers, try visiting http://www.helpwithalzheimers.com - a website that specializes in Alzheimers related tips, advice and resources to include information on Alzheimers disease information.

Alzheimer's & Heart Disease-An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth A Pound of Cure

There are some exciting results from recent clinical trials and research that shows that

you may be able to reduce the risks of Alzheimer's disease by following a heart healthy diet

regimen.

There is no cure for Alzheimer's but recent studies indicate that prevention of

Alzheimer's disease may be possible by including nutrient rich foods in the

diet.

The research results from several neurological studies and white papers presented to

prestigious medical journals report that diet may play a major role in the prevention of

Alzheimer's disease.

The research funded by the Alzheimer's Disease Research

Center at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine offers T a ray of hope in an otherwise

grim area of medical research.

The reality of advanced Alzheimer's is "once the gooey amyloid material accumulates

and the nerve endings are poisoned and the cells have died, it is very hard to think

seriously about repairing damage that severe" states Dr. Gandy, who conducts research

on Alzheimer's disease.

The simple solution for this complex diseases may be "eating healthy". Heart healthy foods

seem to reduce the risk for Alzheimer's.

"When patients reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease they also reduce their risk

factors for Alzheimer's". reports Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an assistant professor of neurology

at Columbia University Medical Center in New York , "People who eat a diet rich in fruits,

vegetables, olive oil, legumes, cereals and fish have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's

disease".

Dr. Scarmeas continued - "These nutrient rich foods could be helping avoid Alzheimer's

disease by providing protection from oxidative stress or by reducing inflammation in the brain".

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements Slow Decline

Another nutrient dense ingredient found in Omega-3 fatty acid supplements have been shown in

associative studies to slow the cognitive decline in some patients with very mild Alzheimer's

disease. However, these supplements do not appear to affect people with more advanced cases

of the disease, according to a team of Swedish researchers.

Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods like salmon, tuna and flaxseed. These fatty acids contain

heart healthy fats. In still another study from the University of Wisconsin, Omega -3 fatty acids

were shown to be "flammable" inside our bodies and burned off cholesterol raising types of fat thus

reducing the risk for high cholesterol and heart related problems.

How Does Omega-3 Prevent Alzheimer?

"The ways by which omega-3 fatty acids interferes in Alzheimer's disease

pathophysiologic features are not clear, but since anti-inflammatory effects are an

important part of the profile of fish oils, they are conceivable also for Alzheimer's

disease," writes Dr. Gandy.

Researchers write. "It is possible that when the disease is clinically apparent,

the neuropathologic involvement is too advanced to be substantially attenuated by anti-inflammatory

treatment." Dr. H. Gandy

In laymen's terms, starting a preventative healthy eating regimen including omega-3 supplements can be

beneficial in the prevention and the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. As a preventative measure, omega-3's should be part of a healthy diet. However, in the latter stages of Alzheimer's, there is little that can be done

to repair damaged brain tissue.

Abnormal changes takes place in the brain of a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease .

As these changes occur, a person with Alzheimer's disease will advance through the stages of

the Alzheimer's.

Over the course of the disease nerve cells, responsible for learning and memory functions

start to break down and eventually die. As a result, certain aspects of brain functioning

that control memory, behavior, personality, and other bodily functions, can be lost.

These recent papers reveal a consensus that focus on the concept that diet is a critical

component in controlling and perhaps preventing Alzheimer's disease. Several clinical

trials and the resulting reports point clearly to the idea that early intervention will

have the greatest effect on controlling symptoms.

For more alzheimers disease treatment information, care giving, and support resources, please visit http://www.alzheimersdiseasetips.com for helpful tips. Be sure to read the article on alternative alzheimers disease treatment.

The Coming Alzheimer's Epidemic

Alzheimer's disease is a disease that strikes terror into many of us, especially as we get older.

Alzheimer's is a very serious brain disease that attacks the parts of the brain responsible for the creation of memory and for thinking.

As the disease progresses, more and more parts of the brain become affected. The patient loses the ability to live independently, and the sense of self and identity disappears. Eventually the patient dies.

Alzheimer's is not the only disease that causes dementia, but it is probably the best known to the general public.

When Alzheimer's strikes someone, we watch as the person afflicted slowly fades away in front of us, and eventually disappears to a place where they can't be reached.

We may personally know people, who have been afflicted by Alzheimer's disease. We may have visited a nursing home where many of the elderly residents sat staring blankly and unaware. We shuddered inwardly, thinking, "I hope that never happens to me."

Part of the reason we fear this disease so much is because it is so mysterious. We don't know what causes Alzheimer's. We don't know how to cure it. We don't even have a surefire test to diagnose Alzheimer's while the victim is still alive.

The incidence of Alzheimer's disease tends to get higher as the population ages. In the age group 65-75, approximately four per cent of the population may be diagnosed with Alzheimer's. In the age group of 85 years or older, about 50% of the population has Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a growing problem all over the world because the population in most countries is growing older and older on average. In many countries, more and more people are surviving to the age where the incidence of the disease becomes more common.

At the present time, up to four million North Americans are believed to be affected by Alzheimer's disease. In twenty years, that number may go up to ten million. India has the some of the lowest rates of Alzheimer's in the world, but scientists don't know why the rate of the disease in India is so low.

Alzheimer's disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who studied and described this disease in Germany in the early years of the twentieth century. Dr. Alzheimer was the first to discover and analyze the massive destruction of brain cells in a middle-aged woman who had been stricken with dementia and eventually died from it.

When Dr. Alzheimer studied this woman's brain after she died, he noticed that her brain was filled with microscopic plaques and tangles. These plaques and tangles had killed her brain cells.

The disease starts out with small lapses in the ability to make and retrieve short-term memories. With this comes a decline in the ability to reason and the ability to concentrate. The person affected may forget the names of familiar objects, or get lost in a familiar place. Personality changes may become apparent.

This decline in mental processing happens because of the destruction of brain cells that are needed to form and retrieve memories. At the same time, there is a progressive decline in the the brain's supply of neurotransmitters required to carry messages from one brain cell to another.

In the initial stages, it is very hard to differentiate Alzheimer's disease from other types of memory loss.

As the disease progresses, more and more brain cells die. Memory test scores may decline by 10 to 15% each year. Eventually, the patient will have difficulty performing the simplest actions required for daily living. The vocabulary dwindles to a few dozen words, then disappears altogether. Friends and family will not be recognized. The "self" fades away.

In the final stages, the patient will be completely unable to look after herself, unable to feed, walk or control the bladder and bowel. Death often occurs from pneumonia or infection.

Alzheimer's may strike people in their twenties, but is very rare in that age group. It becomes increasingly common with advanced aging. As women tend to live longer than men by several years, they are more likely to live long enough to be afflicted with Alzheimer's.

From the initial diagnosis to the time of death may be a period of seven to twenty years. The toll of the disease on the family and on society is very high.

Unless a cure is found soon, the costs of institutionalizing those millions who will fall victim to Alzheimer's in the coming decades will consume many billions of dollars.

The toll on the families of those afflicted is very high. For the person who is afflicted with this disease, the loss of memory, of thinking ability, of the personal sense of self is the greatest tragedy of all.

What is the cause of Alzheimer's disease? Is the cause genetic? Is it environmental? Is Alzheimer's caused by a virus? Does Alzheimer's have only one cause, or are there many contributing factors? Will a cure for Alzheimer's be discovered?

These are questions that scientists are racing to answer.

This article was written by Royane Real, author of "How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better and Be More Creative" Learn many more ways to boost your brain performance at her new website at http://www.royane.com

What Are the Symptoms of Alzheimer's and Is There a Cure?

This article provides a range of information to create further understanding and awareness of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia, a brain disorder that seriously affects a persons ability to perform daily activities, and is most common among older people. Alzheimer's affects 5% of people over 65 and 20% of people over 80. Alzheimer's is a complex disease that, more than likely, is caused by a number of influences. No one single factor has been identified as the cause for Alzheimer's disease, and it is likely that a combination of factors, including age, genetic inheritance and environmental factors are involved. Alzheimer's often impairs short-term memory but leaves long-term memory intact. Alzheimer's disease gradually progresses from mild to moderate to severe.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Alzheimer's include: having increasing difficulty managing complex or new tasks, showing lack of initiative or withdrawal from usual activities, emotional and personality changes, having problems finding the right words or understanding what is being said to them. They may also include: gradual and progressive memory loss, difficulty in following directions and performing routine tasks, impaired judgment, reasoning, concentration, and orientation confusion and restlessness, and loss of the ability to care for one's self.

Family

Alzheimer's disease and other age related dementia cause many problems for patients and their families. Family members who care for an Alzheimer's patient spend lots of time worrying about whether they are doing the right thing. Family members or other caregivers can help by trying to understand how the person with Alzheimer's perceives his or her world. They need emotional support, practical help and information about the illness.

Caregivers

Caregivers must adjust over time as the needs of the person with Alzheimer's disease change, cope with challenging behavioral changes, and experience the heartache when their loved one no longer ia able to recognize them. Caregivers often ignore their own health needs due to the demands of their care-giving role. Support groups can be very helpful, especially for the family, as their loved one starts to deteriorate into someone who hardly knows them.

Research

Research shows that there may be different genetic and non-genetic causes of Alzheimer's. Researchers say these findings may help identify people at risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which leads to Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) is a major research study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, to determine whether brain imaging can help predict onset and monitor progression of Alzheimers disease. Research has found exercising that part of the brain can help build up a "cognitive reserve," which can stave off Alzheimer's. Researchers will also be evaluating whether the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), taken over many months, slows the progression of both cognitive and functional decline in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. There is also research ongoing as to the usefulness of ginkgo biloba extract and other herbal treatments, and for high doses of vitamin E in the treatment of Alzheimer's.

Treatment

A diagnosis by your doctor should be sought as early as possible, as an early diagnosis will help you plan for the future, enable the person with Alzheimer's to benefit from the treatments that are available, help you identify sources of advice and support. Treatment modalities include counseling, psychotherapy (if cognitive functioning is adequate), reminiscent therapy, reality orientation therapy, and behavioral reinforcements as well as cognitive rehabilitation training. In over 50 studies conducted on Ginkgo for the treatment of "cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's," a Cochrane Review concluded that "there is promising evidence of improvement in cognition and function associated with Ginkgo. Cognitive and behavioral interventions and rehabilitation strategies may be used as an adjunct to pharmacologic treatment, especially in the early to moderately advanced stages of Alzheimer's. Proposed alternative treatments for Alzheimer's include a broad range of herbal compounds and dietary supplements.

Conclusion

Promising research continues to provide hope of our being able to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Additionally, as more and more doctors become aware of the benefits of alternative medicines, general nutrition and the role that vitamins, mineral and herbal supplements play in preventing Alzheimer's a cure could be in the offing in the foreseeable future.

This article is intended to provide assistance and information to people who are interested in learning more about natural remedies. It should not be used as a basis for any form of diagnosis or treatment for any medical condition. Always seek professional medical advice.

J. D. Sanders is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Natural Health Remedies. where you can find even more information on treating various conditions the natural way for you to research at your leisure.

Alzheimer's Tests Determine Mental Agility

Alois Alzheimer, the doctor who first described Alzheimer's disease in 1906, would be appalled to learn that over 100 years later there is still no cure for this dreaded brain disease.

The brain destroying properties of Alzheimer's disease are still as much a mystery today as they were over 100 years ago.

There are several advanced tests that display a loss of mental agility. A trained doctor can determine with some accuracy whether a person has this dreaded affliction. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's today is still a death sentence. Those plaques and tangles in the brain are not discovered until an autopsy is performed.

The tests that are conducted on Alzheimer's patients can determine the severity of the disease but these test can not determine the cause for Alzheimer's nor can they offer any clues as to how to defeat this disease.

What the test will determine is the stage of brain deterioration. What will be evident is that Alzheimer's has destroyed a person's memory and will eventually rid them of their ability to function. The person with Alzheimer's is left without the ability to learn or reason. The Alzheimer patient loses the ability to make judgments or engage in any type communication.

The diagnostic tests and tools will determine whether a person has Alzheimer's disease. Specialist in neurology or a Geriatric Specialist do not use brain scans or invasive procedures to determine the validity of an Alzheimer's diagnosis.

The brain is the most critical organ of the body and also the most difficult to navigate for any type of testing or screening to determin a disease or disorder. In fact in the case of Alzheimer's the loss of memory or other behavioral symptoms are the major indicator that there may be something wrong.

When these symptoms appear, the patient is usually in the latter stages of the disease and at this stage there is little hope of recovery.

There is still some validity in early detection of the disease. Some of the diagnosis tests given to patients to cnfirm a diagnose of Alzheimer's Disease include:

1) A clock drawing test. - The patient is asked to draw a clock and to put the

numbers in their appropriate locations on the face of a clock.. The patient is then instructed to draw specific hours on the clock, i.e. 3:00 or 11:15.

2) Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) - The MMSE is a brief test that measures the cognitive status in adults.

3) Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) involves a checklist of functions required to evaluate the changes in functional performance and activities of daily living

The person providing the test will check "Yes" if a characteristic is present. If the problem is due to other causes apart from dementia (i.e., arthritis, paralysis, etc.), the test provider will check "No". The test provider is required to note the results of each activity.

4) CANTAB-PAL's The PAL test is the newest Alzheimer's mental agility test. This test is said to have a specific sensitivity to individuals with Alzheimer's disease. The test takes only 10 minutes and boasts a rate of 98 percent accuracy.

The information from these tests is important to the patient as well as the family. Early diagnosis is important for the effective treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. This information will be used by physicians to determine a course of action.

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For more information on alzheimers statistics, treatment, caregiving, and support resources, please visit http://www.alzheimersdiseasetips.com for helpful tips. Be sure to read the article on alzheimers disease early symptom detection.

The Seven Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

It's quite normal - though perhaps a bit jarring - to see your grandma or grandpa begin to have memory problems. They might forget your phone number, or have to think twice while recalling a childhood memory. But when should you worry? When do the memory troubles signify something more disturbing, like Alzheimer's disease?

It's important to understand and educate yourself about so many things in life, but particularly something as devastating as watching a loved one succumb to Alzheimer's. Knowing what to expect at each stage of the disease can go a long way toward making it easier for you and other family members to contend with.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, there are seven stages of Alzheimer's, but not every person with Alzheimer's will exhibit all the signs and some of the signs might be missed by friends and family who chalk them up to simple aging, senile dementia, or "grandpa being grandpa".

Here are the seven stages and what to look for in each stage.

The first stage is really not a stage at all. This is when grandma or grandpa has no signs of memory loss or any other signs of Alzheimer's.

The second stage of Alzheimer's might look to family members like normal signs of aging. Since we all lose a little of our memory as we get older, this stage really looks like nothing more than normal aging.

The third stage of Alzheimer's is characterized by what the Alzheimer's Association calls mild cognitive decline. It's at this stage that a doctor might see some signs of Alzheimer's and, depending on the patient, might even be able to diagnose early-stage Alzheimer's. In this stage, your grandma or grandpa might have trouble remembering the name of someone they just met, or read something and retain very little of what they've read. They might struggle for words or names in a way that's obvious to others. But generally in this stage, it might still seem that your loved one is just suffering normal effects of aging.

It's really in the fourth stage of Alzheimer's that family and friends - and doctors - might begin calling what looked like basic aging memory complaints something more, and it's when the "classic" signs of Alzheimer's become apparent. These symptoms or signs include forgetting current events or recent experiences; an impaired memory of childhood, personal experiences and the like; and having trouble with basic daily tasks like paying bills, planning menus or completing an errand list.

It can be hard to distinguish between the fifth and sixth stages of Alzheimer's. In these later stages of the disease, simple daily tasks become extremely difficult to perform. In the former stage (the fifth stage), a patient might have a hard time recalling for a doctor their address, schools they attended, or even their phone number. They might choose the wrong clothing for the season or occasion they are dressing for, or they will be confused about the date, season, or day of the week. It's easy at this stage to consider these problems normal relative to aging, but experts say it's important to consider they might be signs of Alzheimer's.

In the sixth stage of Alzheimer's much more cognitive ability is lost. It's hard for grandma or grandpa to recall their personal history (though they will usually know their name at this point); they might have difficulty recalling their spouse's name (but they will generally still recognize faces); they need help with toileting and other bathroom and personal care duties and will experience disruption in sleep and wake cycles. It's also in this stage that there's a risk of your loved one wandering off and becoming lost and there's the potential of them becoming delusional or having hallucinations.

Finally, the seventh stage of Alzheimer's is arguably the most difficult for everyone involved. In this stage, your loved one might lose the ability to speak, or respond to their environment. You might think to bring grandma's favorite ice cream to her, but she could likely forget she even likes ice cream.

Alzheimer's disease can be a frightening thing for you and your loved one. But knowing and being able to identify the stages of Alzheimer's is important.

Dr. Beth Paxton is a general health practictioner providing helpful information for families and patients with Alzheimer's Disease [http://www.doctors-advice.com/alzheimers].