Alzheimer's Disease
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Alzheimer's Disease |
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Introduction
Caregiver Support
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Caregiver SupportSeventy percent of all people with Alzheimer’s Disease live at home. The experience can take a tremendous physical and psychological toll on the family caregiver(s). Caregivers should be aware of the many resources available to them to guide them in their journey. There are support groups, excellent newsletters and books with caregiving tips and internet chat rooms. All of these resources help the person recognize that they are not alone. Sometimes caregivers will need more intensive therapy to cope with this challenging situation and may need to be reminded that it’s OK to ask for help.
With 360,000 new cases diagnosed each year, AD remains a significant public health problem. It is estimated that by the year 2050, 14 million Americans will have the disease. The annual cost to care for people with the disease is 80-100 billion dollars per year. How will we care for all these patients and their 19 million caregivers? Research continues at a rapid pace to identify what actually causes the brain damage to occur. Once the cause can be determined a cure may be developed. Researchers are also studying if AD could be prevent through vaccination or if disease progression can be delayed through the use of medications like estrogen or Vitamin E or by performing mental exercises like neurobics. It remains our responsibility to continue to read and learn about new developments related to the care and treatment of AD patients. Alzheimer’s Disease remains an irreversible, progressive brain damaging disease. Dr. Luria suggests, “ Do whatever your ingenuity and heart suggests. There is little or no hope of any recovery in memory. But a man does not consist of memory alone. He has feeling, will, sensibilities, moral being, and it is here you may find ways to touch him. In the realm of the individual there may be much you can do.” |
For all of us, as hard as it may be, maintaining our
sense of humor is essential. Sometimes our patients can help us do that. I
had an AD patient who was hospitalized. This has always been my worst
nightmare because it represents such a significant change in environment for
the patient. I was speaking with this patient and his wife to establish his
daily routine and what he could do for himself. He started fidgeting and
then suddenly said, “I have to go to the bathroom”. He walked in and
promptly locked the door. This started me thinking, “Oh, great. Can he harm
himself in there? What is he doing?” After a couple of minutes I knocked on
the door, and the toilet flushed. I asked, “Are you finished?” He opened the
door and he answered, “I’m not Finnish, I’m Norwegian!”