Alzheimer’s disease is known to be the sixth leading cause of death for people age 65 and above. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), five million Americans were living with Alzheimer 's disease (AD) and it is projected to rise to 14 million by 2050 (2014). AD is a decay of the brain that causes loss of cognitive abilities and memory, which is the most common form of Dementia. Dementia is a broad term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities that are bad enough to cause a problem with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Plaques and tangles are the two prime suspects in destroying and killing nerve cells. The tangle and plaques worsen, as the person gets older and for people with AD it is very rapid. As the
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The memory loss is usually the most common sign of AD and the early stages of it. As the disease continues to spread it leads to difficulties in the domains of language, motor activity and object recognition (CDC, 2013). Older adults, who is cognitively impaired from AD, are sometimes confused and lost. For example, an individual with AD will often ask family members “who are you” or say, “I do not know you.” Sometimes they remember their loved one and people around them, but sometimes they do not. The more severe the condition the more memory lost. Individuals may have disruptive behaviors or mood changes due to the changes in the brain. Patricia Alpert explained that brain changes and disuse weakens the neuronal connectivity to receive, process, and transmit information (Alpert 2012: 74). This means that elders with AD learn new information slower and process slower. Their responses and reaction may be different from normal. People who have AD scored lower on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) than their caregiver without dementia (Duke et al. 2002). This is because individual with AD have a hard time remembering things they were told to repeat or saw. The MMSE is involved with memory, the person taking the test has to remember and repeat the words that they were told at the beginning of the …show more content…
Individuals who have AD have mental or cognitive impaired. They are mentally impaired due the spreading tangle and plaque in the brains. They will not be able to remember a lot of things, even family members. The brain and body become dysfunctional because of the numerous dead brain cells. The individuals with AD become dependent on family and people around them who are still physically and cognitively functioning. They are incapable of helping theirs selves with their ADLs. Individuals with AD wanders and family fear for them being lost or injured. Wandering can cause injuries and also death as a result of injuries. Keeping close supervision will truly help improve the individuals’ health and life
The memory loss is usually the most common sign of AD and the early stages of it. As the disease continues to spread it leads to difficulties in the domains of language, motor activity and object recognition (CDC, 2013). Older adults, who is cognitively impaired from AD, are sometimes confused and lost. For example, an individual with AD will often ask family members “who are you” or say, “I do not know you.” Sometimes they remember their loved one and people around them, but sometimes they do not. The more severe the condition the more memory lost. Individuals may have disruptive behaviors or mood changes due to the changes in the brain. Patricia Alpert explained that brain changes and disuse weakens the neuronal connectivity to receive, process, and transmit information (Alpert 2012: 74). This means that elders with AD learn new information slower and process slower. Their responses and reaction may be different from normal. People who have AD scored lower on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) than their caregiver without dementia (Duke et al. 2002). This is because individual with AD have a hard time remembering things they were told to repeat or saw. The MMSE is involved with memory, the person taking the test has to remember and repeat the words that they were told at the beginning of the …show more content…
Individuals who have AD have mental or cognitive impaired. They are mentally impaired due the spreading tangle and plaque in the brains. They will not be able to remember a lot of things, even family members. The brain and body become dysfunctional because of the numerous dead brain cells. The individuals with AD become dependent on family and people around them who are still physically and cognitively functioning. They are incapable of helping theirs selves with their ADLs. Individuals with AD wanders and family fear for them being lost or injured. Wandering can cause injuries and also death as a result of injuries. Keeping close supervision will truly help improve the individuals’ health and life