Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is progressive and long-term, resulting in intellectual impairment alongside memory loss. It can affect people of all backgrounds, and is the most common cause of dementia in adults.

Dementia itself is the loss of memory as well as any intellect that interferes with everyday life. This can include personal, social and occupational activities. Dementia is the term for the symptoms that can accompany certain conditions, which also includes changes in behaviour or personality.

Alzheimer’s disease usually affects people who are 65 and over, though in some cases it occurs in the 50s or even younger. There are other causes of dementia, and these include strokes, disease and alcohol abuse.

The Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Each patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is different, meaning that they may experience different symptoms and behave differently. For these reasons the disease can be extremely hard to predict, and it is hard to say when the majority of changes will take place and at what pace. Changes can present problems for caregivers, meaning that it is important to learn as much as possible about them.

Those with Alzheimer’s disease will have memory problems as well as difficulty thinking and reasoning. This means that they become increasingly unable to care for themselves. They can become confused, find it difficult to follow directions and to finish thoughts. This can also lead to changes in mood, as well as behaviours such as wandering from home and getting confused about the time of day.

Other changes in the brain can affect the physical senses which includes vision, smell or taste. All of these changes and disabilities mean that loved ones will be affected by the disease as much as the patient. If a loved one decides to become a carer then they will need to seek support as well as learn to understand the symptoms as much as possible.