When Someone You Love Has Alzheimer's - What You Must Know, What You Can Do, and What You Should Expect A

Klappentext Provides caregivers with compassionate strategies for dealing with the challenges related to Alzheimer's! from memory loss and behavior problems to maintaining quality of life and taking important legal steps. Introduction   Mary was engaged in one of her favorite activities—doing the crossword puzzle in the daily paper. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me,” she said to her husband, Jerry. “The clue is ‘ “Blank” Velvet,’ the name of a song. I know the first word is a color, but I can’t remember what it is.”   “Well, it’s not as bad as forgetting the name of our mailman, which you did yesterday,” Jerry teased. But beneath his teasing tone, Jerry was worried. Mary’s memory lapses were occurring more frequently. Something was wrong with her, and that realization frightened him.   Mary is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating illness that ultimately leads the sufferer to a state of total dependence on caregivers. The most insidious aspect of the disease is that it begins almost imperceptibly; moments of forgetfulness, among the first symptoms, are easily attributed to distraction, emotional upset, or simply a “normal” part of aging.   But there is nothing “normal” about Alzheimer’s. It is an organic brain disease that takes a tremendous toll on the person with the illness, the caregiver, and society at large. Currently more than four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. The prevalence increases dramatically with age. People age sixty-five to seventy-four have a one in twenty-five chance of having Alzheimer’s; for those age eighty-five and older this likelihood rises to a staggering nearly one in two chance. This eighty-five-plus age group is the most rapidly growing sector of the American population, which means we may expect a dramatic increase in the overall number of people with Alzheimer’s in the coming century, unless preventive treatments and cures are discovered.   Alzheimer’s disease affects the cells of the brain, producing progressively severe intellectual impairment. At first the individual experiences only minor and almost imperceptible symptoms that may be attributed to emotional upset or other physical illnesses. The person may forget to turn off the oven, misplace things, recheck to see if a task was done, or repeat already answered questions. As the disease progresses, memory loss increases and other changes, such as confusion, irritability, restlessness, and agitation are likely to appear. Judgment, concentration, and speech may also be affected.   There are many different patterns in the type, severity, and sequence of changes in mental and neurological functioning that result from Alzheimer’s disease. Although the symptoms are progressive, there is great variation in the rate of change from person to person.   During the early stages the person with Alzheimer’s is likely to be aware that his or her mental faculties are becoming impaired. This realization can be agonizing to the person with the disease and may trigger depression and other mood changes. The decline may also have terrible emotional consequences for the spouse and children of the person with Alzheimer’s, especially when they are the caregivers.   During the later stages Alzheimer’s can cause complete dependency. The person with Alzheimer’s may eventually lose the ability to walk and to eat and swallow, and may need round-the-clock care at home or in a nursing facility.   THE DIFFICULTY OF CAREGIVING   Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s takes courage and fortitude. As the National Institute of Aging points out, the caregiving burden is not simply a matter of money, though care can be costly, especially when patients are repeatedly hospitalized during the course of their illness. In addition active caregivers, as well as family members and friends who take on part of the caregiving responsibilities, may suffer...

Product details

• Authors: Marilyn Larkin, Lynn Sonberg
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Inc.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 01.10.1995
• EAN: 9780440216605
• ISBN: 978-0-440-21660-5
• No. of pages: 272
• Dimensions: 107 mm x 175 mm x 18 mm