As we work our way through September and people begin gearing up for the changing of the seasons, there is a certain excitement in the air. Yes, fall is almost here, and with it comes colder weather, busier workdays, and the looming stress/joy of having holidays right around the corner. But September is also a special month for those of us in the elder care industry because September is World Alzheimer's Disease month. Yes, during the 9th month of the year, people all over the world take time to raise funds and reflect on the insidious disease of Alzheimer's dementia. With Alzheimer's dementia becoming such a prolific diagnosis for older adults across the globe, understanding the signs and symptoms of the disease is becoming ever more important. So, for this month's blog post, we will discuss Alzheimer's dementia, where it might come from, how it can present itself, and how you as a caregiver or loved one can help the people in your life dealing with this condition. This blog post will touch on a few important topics related to Alzheimer’s dementia, but for a more thourough understanding, please check out the links at the bottom of the page as they are the primary sources of information from which this post was written.
What causes Alzheimer's? The question of causality for Alzheimer’s is still a mystery. Although there have been promising leads and theories as to what causes some people to develop Alzheimer's while others avoid it completely, one thing is known – the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease are physically different in comparison to the brains of healthy individuals. Alzheimer’s dementia is denoted by protein “plaques and tangles,” which form in the brain. Detection of these abnormalities usually leads to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia; and dealing with these structural abnormalities is no easy task. While medications and therapies are constantly being developed and tested, there is no currently accepted treatment to remedy Alzheimer’s or stop its progression.
How does Alzheimer’s progress? Alzheimer’s dementia progresses differently in every person, but typical progression is based on an 8-year time span. Over that time, the affected person will start noticing small difficulties in their activities of daily life which gradually become more pronounced. Becoming more forgetful, confused, and eventually struggling to remember names and faces of people they just met are a few common reasons that people seek a doctor's exam to test for Alzheimer’s. As the disease progresses, memory fades steadily, and function in activities of daily life becomes more difficult. In time, care plans are needed to tend to the individual who has been diagnosed, and those care plans will likely involve in-home caregiver help, or a move to a memory care community so that the individual can stay safe while receiving needed care and stimulation.
Caregiving for a person with Alzheimer’s. Understanding the progression and symptoms of Alzheimer’s dementia is a good starting point to develop a better understanding of the disease; but even more important is learning how to be a compassionate caregiver for the person living with Alzheimer’s. Caregiving in general emphasizes empathy, patience, understanding, and putting people first. Caregiving for individuals with Alzheimer’s requires nuance, and “meeting them in their own reality,” to create effective results. This means that if an Alzheimer’s patient believes that they have woken up late for work and need to get to their job, then you should engage them in that mind set. Instead of telling them, “there is no job, you retired years ago,” maybe try telling them that they have the day off and their coworkers have everything under control. There is a lot of merit to taking this approach over trying to reinforce the reality in which you live, plus you save the person additional trauma of having to feel more confused in an already confusing time in their life.
Finding activities that are Alzheimer’s friendly is also important. Activities that are focused on sensory stimulation are a good place to start. Things like listening to their favorite music together, creating artwork, or enjoying a peaceful movie are all options that tend to be well received by Alzheimer’s patients. Physical activity is always a good option for everyone - a scheduled walk in the morning, or a light exercise done with a partner can make a positive difference in their physical and mental health. Keeping them engaged and active is not only a kind thing to do, but also a reliable way of understanding how their loved one is progressing with the disease.
Finally, it is important to keep your loved one with Alzheimer’s dementia involved. Make plans for the upcoming holidays that include them, prepare accordingly, and look into ways that they can be included in the festivities. That might mean having them help with cookie decorating, asking them to look through some old photos and choose a few to put on display, or even picking out a few gifts for family members. If you have younger family members, have a talk with them about your loved one’s situation before the day arrives, and update all family members on where they’re at in terms of the disease's progression before everybody gets together. These measures all help ensure that there are no surprises when it comes time to celebrate and allow for everyone to make the most of the yearly get-togethers.
Getting involved. If you would like to learn more about Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and find ways of becoming involved in the research/advocacy community, then please check out the links below. Alzheimer’s is an insidious disease that year after year eludes a cure. Though there is a tremendous amount of work being done to find cures and therapies, the fight is still on-going. Only time and perseverance will lead us to finding better treatments, so any form of advocacy is tremendously helpful. We hope this post served as a good starting point for understanding Alzheimer’s dementia, and we will continue to work funding research and cures until Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are a thing of the past.
Sources and helpful links