Is Someone You Love Suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia?
Written by Anna Ruth   
Sunday, 25 October 2009 13:00
Discovering that a family member has the first signs of dementia and Alzheimer's will be difficult, but there are lots of resources you can use to make caring for that family member more productive. Your family member will still desire to be alone, and you'll want to select a place that will give you what you need to help them thrive. Here are some vital facts about Alzheimer's that will let you know if you need to find additional treatment.
by AnnaRuth


Discovering that a family member has the first signs of dementia and Alzheimer's will be difficult, but there are lots of resources you can use to make caring for that family member more productive. Your family member will still desire to be alone, and you'll want to select a place that will give you what you need to help them thrive. Here are some vital facts about Alzheimer's that will let you know if you need to find additional treatment.

Alzheimer's and dementia are often linked together, since Alzheimer's is an overall problem of memory loss, which is coupled with other symptoms like depression or lack of attentiveness, while dementia is the sweeping deterioration of the mind. In the beginning of Alzheimer's, you will note that they can sometimes forget people's names or common words that are used during regular communications. If this happens very rarely, it's not a problem. However, if you notice that your grandparent is saying a made-up word to take the place of a word they can't think of, or if they're becoming more and more withdrawn during conversation, it could be the preliminary signs of Alzheimer's and dementia.

A lack of interest to do some things, or sometimes personality changes can be a sign of Alzheimer's and dementia. If someone has dementia, completing normal tasks can be a challenge. This means chores like eating lunch, tying laces, and getting dressed in the morning may be completed less frequently as the condition gets worse. The brain slows down, and neurotransmitters do not do their job as often. If you find that your parent or grandparent has started to put things in strange places around the home, such as putting a check book in between sofa cushions, or find a toothbrush in the dishwasher, this could be a sign that it's time to meet with the doctor.

During the more progressed stages of Alzheimer's and dementia, you'll see that it's difficult for your loved one to organize their thought processes, and it could be more difficult for your mom to recognize their family. Once you talk with your doctor, you can work out a treatment plan for your loved one to help to meet their needs. Typically that most patients last for approximately 10 years after the original diagnosis, but some even live twenty years after the disease has been detected.

To learn more about Alzheimer's and dementia so that you can provide the right Alzheimer care, visit www.alz.org.

About the Author: