Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is a disease of the brain that destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, behavior, and thinking that causes problems for the sufferers in their everyday life. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease and is the 6th leading cause of death in the united states, with no currently cure. Many times this form of Dementia will disrupt the hobbies, social life, and family life of the patient, leading to confusion, frustration, and fear for the sufferer and their loved ones. For the family it is important to remember that there is nothing their loved one can do about it, and that all their symptoms and behaviors are just part of the disease. At the Alzheimers Association they give drug and non-drug treatments for alleviating some of the symptoms and making everyday life a little easier. Alzheimers is only one form of Dementia, some of the other commen forms are vascular dementia where the arteries feeding the brain become narrow or blocked, Lewy body Dementia which is abnormal protien clumps in the brain, and Frontemporal Dementia caused by degeneration of the frontal lobe. For more information on Dementia check out the Mayo Clinic page on dementia, and there are many forums around the web you may find helpful, such as ElderCareInfo. For a downloadable pamphlet from Visiting Angels Click on the brouchure below.