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Living With Alzheimer's Disease

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Imagine waking up and not being able to recognize the person sleeping next to you or not remembering your kids names. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. About 5.5 million people live with Alzheimer’s, and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s is mostly mistaken as a sign of aging, it worsens over time and unfortunately has no cure.
Many people tend to believe that Alzheimer’s is a problem for old people, but that is incorrect. A normal healthy way to age is skin becomes more sensitive, hair loss, bone density can be lost, a decrease in sight and hearing. It is common to have some memory loss, slower recall of information, however memory loss …show more content…
The three main stages of the disease each have their own challenges and symptom. Each case of AD has its own unique set of symptoms and varies in its severity. Early-stage Alzheimer's disease is a mild stage, usually lasts two to four years, is when most people get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Close friends and family members start to realize that there has been memory loss. For example, they can’t contain any new information, they have a difficult time solving problems or making decisions, personality changes, become less social, misplacing belongings. Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease can last for two to ten years, this is the longest stage of the disease. Patients often have an increase in memory loss, may need help with daily activities. Some symptoms that may occur poor judgement and confusion, s/he may begin to confuse family members, lose orientation, may begin wandering, greater memory loss, significant personality changes. Severe Alzheimer’s Disease, if the final stage, cognitive capacity continues to decline. Due to the severity of memory loss the family’s ability to take care of the patient declines and in this stage often results in nursing homes or long term care. Common symptoms in the stage is the ability to communicate less, are unable to carry a conversation, relays more on personal care, like eating, bathing, and …show more content…
Researchers are constantly looking for a way to improve the quality of life and inventinting new treatments for patients with dementia. Many people with Alzheimer’s behavior problems are the most difficult to handle it becomes a everyday challenge. The cause of this is the brain cells in the brain they begin to deteriorate. A person’s surroundings often play a role in triggering behavioral symptoms, change is the patient's life is very stressful, it increases fear and fatigue. Many non-drug treatments that manage behavior symptoms help with physical and emotional comfort. As family members, some ways we can help is to monitor personal comfort, like pain, hunger, fatigue, infections, skin irritation. Avoid confrontations, remain flexible, create a calm environment, especially don’t take behavior

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