There are several signs that one should look for if one believes a family member may be afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. They are:

* Memory Loss: This sign of Alzheimer’s disease may be confusing because forgetfulness can be a common trait that comes with aging for many individuals. The memory loss that a sufferer of Alzheimer’s disease suffers is different; it can often mean the forgetting important things, like the names of your grandchildren or your birth date. However, when these memory lapses become more frequent, it could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
* Mental Health: Depression can also be a confusing and often a misread sign of Alzheimer’s disease because so many people can suffer from depression but be in good health. When depression is coupled with one or more of the sign of Alzheimer’s disease, it is cause for concern.
* Senses: This sign of Alzheimer’s disease can be confusing because, like memory loss, poor hearing and poor sight often come with increased age. However, look for other sensory problems like a heighten sense of smell or the inability to distinguish or detect strong odors.
* Mood: Another sign of Alzheimer’s disease may be extreme mood swings. Like depression, this can be difficult to detect in the elderly. Look for irrational mood swings from shedding tears of happiness to shedding tears of pain.
* Behavior: Odd behaviors are another sign of Alzheimer’s disease. This may be demonstrated in the individual being confused at which type of clothes to wear in the winter and which type of clothes is appropriate in the summer.
* Thinking: Inability to complete simple tasks and think clearly may be another sign of Alzheimer’s disease. This can be demonstrated by the individual’s confusion and difficulty in doing daily routine tasks.

These are just a few of the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. It is important to note that although many of these symptoms are synonymous with aging, when coupled together in one individual it may be an indicator that further testing is needed.

Diet Is Important

Perhaps the easiest way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease is to regulate one’s diet. A study published in the Archives of Neurology in 2002 indicated that participants, ranging in age from 65 to 102, who ate fish at least once each week, showed 36% less decline in cognitive functioning over the study’s three year period. Similar results have been found in other studies; all which indicate those who have a significant amount of fish, as well as Vitamin E, might be well on their way to prevent Alzheimer’s.

Another group of vitamins that appears to be important are the B-complex vitamins, specifically folic acid and vitamin B-12. A study from the National Institute on Aging indicates that mice fed a diet rich in these nutrients were able to repair damage to the DNA of nerve cells in the hippocampus, an area used extensively for memory and learning. Eating foods rich in these vitamins such as whole grains, yeast, meats, and low fat diary products may be a great way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Things to Avoid and Things to Do.

In the fight to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, there are a few things that are becoming more and more important to avoid. The first one should be avoided for a number of reasons, not just dealing with Alzheimer’s. Smoking is definitely something that if you worried about Alzheimer’s, you should avoid. A recent study reported in Stockholm, Sweden indicated that among people that have the genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease, smoking was significantly related to the onset of the disease.

Another thing to try to avoid if you want to prevent Alzheimer’s disease is even small amounts of mercury. This element, even in low quantities, can create neurofibrillar tangles that occur in Alzheimer’s and other mental degenerative diseases in the brain.

Of course, diet and the avoidance of certain things is not the only way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies indicate that the old adage of “use it or lose it” does have some merit. Whether or not you think you are in the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease, be sure to exercise your mind. Learn something new each day – do a crossword puzzle, read a challenging book, or learn a new recipe for dinner. Keeping your mind active and engaged is a great way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a crippling, depressive disease. It is a gradual process that slowly and permanently robs a person of everything that made them a unique individual, their memories, their loves, and even their personality. The ability to prevent Alzheimer’s disease is something that should be on the goal list of anyone who has the ability to make a difference.

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease involved taking a thorough history, doing a physical exam, running lab tests, and administering various mental status examinations. All of these tests and procedures were done to make sure it wasn’t something other than Alzheimer’s disease. To make matters even more confusing, there were two sets of guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer’s.

NINDS-ADRDA (National Institute for Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorder Association) Guidelines for Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease

The NINDS-ADRDA guidelines say that you can say someone probably has Alzheimer’s disease if she has dementia with progressive problems with memory and at least one other area of brain functioning. The client has to be between 40 and 90 years of age, and they can’t find anything else wrong.

DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th version) Guidelines for Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease

The DSM guidelines say that you can say someone probably has Alzheimer’s disease if they have memory problems plus problems speaking, moving or understanding the information he receives from his senses. The problems must have started gradually and be progressively getting worse, to the point that he is having trouble with work or social situations, and they can’t find anything else wrong.

Brain Imaging and Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease

Recently, scientists have begun to do research on diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease with different kinds of brain imaging. A small study in 2003 found that people whose MRI’s showed that they lost brain tissue in a particular part of their brains later developed symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. If this was true, if the study could be proven to be accurate, Alzheimer’s disease could be diagnosed before symptoms appeared. This is important, because there are new medicines to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and the earlier you start taking them, the more they help.

Since then, both PET and SPECT scanning have been used to definitely diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. There are physical changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease that we now have the ability to see. PET or SPECT scans provide a definite diagnosis, and are enough of a standard procedure for diagnosing Alzheimer’s that Medicare pays for them.

PET or SPECT scans are usually performed as soon as a person begins to develop memory problems or suspicions that they might have Alzheimer’s disease. People with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease might consider having scans performed periodically after they reach a certain age, as early treatment is the best hope they have for a long and productive life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

With newer medical imaging procedures, diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease is no longer a guessing game. And that opens the door to earlier and more effective treatment, and a better quality of life for those who do have the disease.

The side effects you will experience in your personal life if you do not seek out an Alzheimer’s support group include: lack of sleep, weight loss due to a lack of appetite, decreased socialization or exercise, as well as depression.

If there are no existing Alzheimer’s support groups in your community, do not despair, simply put your energies into establishing one. Here are some questions you can ask when fleshing out the structure of the Alzheimer’s support group.

Aims and Purposes

What are the primary and secondary aims and purposes of the Alzheimer’s support group? Is it to provide education and solutions for family members who care for their parents, or is it to raise awareness and funds about Alzheimer’s disease? Have informal meetings with other families who are in the same situation, and talk to them about the viability of having a support group.

Awareness and Recruitment

In creating informational materials about the Alzheimer’s support group, do not forget to have a contact number and the name of the person who can answer queries.

How do you propose to create awareness and recruit members for your Alzheimer’s support group? Should you create press releases and distribute these to your community newspapers? Can you post flier invitations at the churches, libraries, and senior center bulletin boards? Can you compose public service announcements about the purposes of the group and send them to television and radio talk shows?

Structure, Plans, and Group Mechanics

Where will the group meet? How often and when should the group meet? How will the Alzheimer’s support group function to meet the expectations of the members?
What are viable short term and long term goals, which your support group can meet to help the needs of their members and the community?

Creating an Alzheimer’s support group from scratch is a challenge, but the benefits are invaluable. By establishing an Alzheimer’s support group, you will be with like-minded individuals who can help you solve problems and be there for you as you deal with the grief and pain.

There is some basic information that will help you choose a good Alzheimer’s nursing home for your family member or loved one.

There are two types of nursing care facilities that can care for an Alzheimer’s patient:

1. Skilled care: This type of Alzheimer’s nursing home only provides care that can be provided by a doctor, licensed nurse, physical or occupational therapist, respiratory therapist, or social worker. These types of nursing homes are also know as ‘sub-acute’ or ‘medicare occupancy’. This type of nursing home is generally paid for by Medicare for approximately one hundred days, so is not suitable for the long-term.

2. Long-term care: This type of Alzheimer’s nursing home is for those individuals that require a 24-hour high level of care to insure their safety. Medicare does generally not cover a long-term Alzheimer’s nursing home. You must have your own resources to fund this level of care, although there are some government programs that may help after you have exhausted your resources. If the nursing home does not accept government funding, you will have to move them to a nursing facility that does.

How to Locate an Alzheimer’s Nursing Home

The government offices of Medicare and Medicaid have an extensive database that can help you to locate a good Alzheimer’s nursing home. You may want to consider a Special Care Unit (SCU) that is specially trained in the assistance of Alzheimer’s patients. Their database rates the Alzheimer’s nursing homes by quality of care, quality of life, nutrition, and safety.

They also provide a checklist for people to use when visiting the different Alzheimer’s nursing homes. This form will help you keep track of the different nursing homes so that you can evaluate them for the best alternative. This checklist is available at http://www.alzinfo.org/pdfs/checklist.pdf and the database of nursing homes can be found at http://www.alzinfo.org/providers/default.aspx?AreaId=3.

Above all, do not feel guilty when you make the decision to use an Alzheimer’s nursing home. It is impossible for one person to provide the care needed for a person with advanced symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Illnesses Caused by Alzheimer’s Home Care

The increase in health problems is due to a range of factors including: increased stress and the loss of social, emotional, and financial support. Some home caregivers may turn to alcohol, start suffering from poor hearing or eyesight or their own fading memory. This is because Alzheimer’s home care can range from a few years to over 20 years and can consume over 100 hours a week, leaving the home caregiver drained of both physical and emotional energy. In the final stages, this care often requires 24-hour support, which is impossible for one individual.

Help for Alzheimer’s Home Caregivers

One of the hardest things to do is to watch your loved one slowly slip away. To add to all the stresses of Alzheimer’s home care, it causes emotional, physical, and financial stress. Knowing what support is available and how to take care of yourself as a home caregiver for an Alzheimer’s patient is vital to your health.

There are several things you can do that will help alleviate the stress related to Alzheimer’s home care. They are:

* Family support and education – learning how to adjust to personality changes and knowing what to expect can make a big difference in the home care of an Alzheimer’s patient. Get involved with local organizations to learn what causes Alzheimer’s and how to manage the disease. Also look for temporary programs that can provide the home care support you need to have time away from the person with Alzheimer’s.
* Learning to communicate with an Alzheimer’s patient – Often the Alzheimer’s patient remembers the past more easily than the present. Learn to communicate on a level that is easy for them to understand.
* Using therapeutic activities – Music therapy, former hobbies, pets, and establishing routines can help to alleviate the stress caused by the behavior of an Alzheimer’s patient.
* Modifying your home – At first, changes may be simple adjustments (such as keeping often used items in a specific place, labeling doors or drawers, or using notes and timers to remind the person to do certain things). As Alzheimer’s progresses, extensive measures may be necessary to ensure the person’s safety and help reduce problematic behaviors in their home.
* Diet and exercise – Reducing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s is reliant on good health. Making sure the Alzheimer’s patient has a good nutritional diet and gets regular exercise is one of the most important factors in home care.

Research, Research, Research!

Talk to the patient’s physician and ask all the questions you have about the symptoms, possible medical treatments, and other alternatives. Request the doctor to provide you a list of related literature and other informational materials on Alzheimer’s disease.

Conduct in-depth research into your community’s medical facilities, from the expertise of the physicians to the medical equipment used. Keep this information, addresses, and telephone numbers within reach at all times.

Get in touch with the following organizations: the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR) and Alzheimer’s Association for starters. Ask them if they provide training on care giving and other management skills to help you to become an effective Alzheimer’s caregiver.

Join a support group. You will find the addresses and contact details of these support groups at churches, synagogues, seniors’ centers, and assisted living facilities. They will help provide the emotional support you need, as well as concrete ideas on how to be a better Alzheimer’s caregiver.

Schedule is the Key

Create a flexible routine for you and your patient, and you can maximize the times that are best for the person with Alzheimer’s disease. Be kind to yourself, and remember that no matter how hard you try as an Alzheimer’s caregiver, there will be days when nothing goes right for the patient.

Add variety to your patient’s schedules by creating a mix of activities. Perhaps you can use the services of an adult day-care center once a week. This will provide the patient opportunities to socialize and allow you to be a better Alzheimer’s caregiver by providing the breathing space you need. Also, plan your doctors’ visit when it is least crowded and the patient is receptive.

Think Ahead

Inspect the house and make it accident proof. You can install locks so that the person with Alzheimer’s disease will not wander out, and be sure to hide any sharp objects that could hurt the patient. Remember to label all the medicines, and keep them locked away.

Being an Alzheimer’s caregiver is never going to be easy. The person you are caring for is suffering from an irreversible brain disorder; however, some of the basics outlined here can help you as you maintain a quality of life for the person with Alzheimer’s.

Mental Stimulation

This is probably the best known measure for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. A very famous health study conducted on nuns showed that those who engaged regularly in intellectual pursuits were less likely to contract Alzheimer’s, particularly early Alzheimer’s. Later studies have shown that while intellectual stimulation doesn’t necessarily aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, it does in fact delay the onset and the progression of symptoms.

Some simple intellectual pursuits you could engage in regularly are reading challenging books, doing crossword puzzles as well as playing mentally stimulating games like chess and Scrabble.

Physical Activity

More recent studies have shown that, in addition to mental activity, physical activity assists in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Some suggest that this is due to the increased blood flow, heart, and lung capacity. No matter the reason it works, it is worth giving this measure a try, since its health benefits extend far beyond the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Activity does not need to be extremely strenuous or intensive; it is most important that it be regular and consistent. A daily walk, swim, or game of golf will help to ward off a great variety of health concerns, including Alzheimer’s.

Social Interaction

One of the more interesting findings of late is the significance of social interaction in our physical and mental health. Several studies have shown that maintaining a social network aids in the prevention and treatment of many diseases common among older people, and now it is shown to help in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

Since early Alzheimer’s can often include symptoms such as anxiety and depression, maintaining contact with friends can also help to relieve some of these symptoms and increase quality of life.

Diet

Still being studied is the effect of diet and nutritional supplementation in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Promising work has shown the helpfulness of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and fish oil. While no research has yet confirmed this, anecdotal observation has shown a number of cases where the kind of diet recommended for the prevention of heart disease has also proven useful in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Again, while nothing has been shown for sure, including some of these measures in your lifestyle may help you to avoid Alzheimer’s will improve your overall health and quality of life.

Early Symptoms

Early onset of Alzheimer’s in individuals can be characterized through many symptoms. Forgetfulness is one of the primary symptoms and is caused by the ability of Alzheimer’s to destroy brain cells. This destruction results in the loss of memory. These memory lapses can be minor like forgetting the name of a city you once visited or they could be major, like forgetting the name of one of your children. Forgetfulness often comes with age, however, Alzheimer’s disease is differentiated because the speed of forgetfulness is often seems to occur suddenly and is much quicker than typical aging.

The early onset of Alzheimer’s may include the forgetting of where items in your home are located. Additionally early signs of Alzheimer’s could include the storing of items in incorrect places (like books in the dryer).

Another symptom demonstrated in the early onset of Alzheimer’s is severe feelings of depression. Although depression affects can affect anyone of any age, it can be an effective indicator of this disease when coupled with the other early signs of Alzheimer’s.

A severe change in the affected individual’s senses can also be a good indicator of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Often the sense of smell can be heightened and there is the inability to distinguish between odors. There may be a sever change of hearing loss, where the individual doesn’t hear their phone ring, listens to the radio on high volumes, and is unable to hear conversation occurring in the same room. The sense of sight may also be affected as seen through the individual’s inability to follow visual instructions or directions

Another early onset of Alzheimer’s symptom can be severe mood swings for no apparent reason. One minute the affected is laughing with friends and the next minute she is crying uncontrollably.

Early onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms may include confusion in the indivual’s behavior. Such as their lack of knowing what type of clothes is appropriate to were in the summer and what type of clothes they should wear in the winter. This can be very embarrassing and uncomfortable for the sufferer.

The final symptom of the early onset of Alzheimer’s may be the individual’s inability to think and process things as clearly as before. This could be seen in their inability to pay bills or balance their own checkbook.

Diagnosis

Recognizing symptoms as a possibility of the early onset of Alzheimer’ can be terrifying. A critical step in facing this fear is to be examined by a medical professional and obtain a correct diagnosis. Overcoming fear and moving ahead translates into an earlier treatment program.

Often the first medical professional consulted is the family’s physician. They in turn may suggest consultation with a neurologist or geriatric psychiatrist. These medical professional’s specialize in the diagnosing and management of various forms of dementia which includes Alzheimer’s disease.

Treatment

With the correct diagnosis at the early onset of Alzheimer’s, early treatment can begin. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, treatment may include a prescription regimen which may help slow the development of the disease.

Other treatments to begin at the early onset of Alzheimer’s include the use of alternative medicine. The effectiveness of vitamins and herbal remedies are promoted as possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. These alternative medicines could be the use of Vitamin E, ginkgo biloba and Coenzyme Q10.

Psychological Screening

One such screening vehicle that is used as an alternative to Alzheimer’s testing is the mini-mental state examination, or MMSE. The MMSE is a thirty question test that samples a variety of areas of cognitive ability, such as memory, problem solving, and orientation. This examination is used to determine if a person’s cognitive ability is at what is considered a normal level.

In addition to such tests, however, the most important screening vehicle is observational behavioral analysis. People who have known the patient for a long time are the best equipped to determine if there has been a recent and significant change in mental state. Until Alzheimer’s testing is perfected, observational data remains the best method of detecting possible dementia.

Medical Evaluation

Once a patient is determined to have dementia, he or she should be tested for other possible medical causes of dementia. Often dementia is caused by other diseases or by a decreased oxygen level in the brain. Symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer’s are often present in patients with clinical depression or other psychological disorders, as well.

While positive Alzheimer’s testing is not available, testing for these other causes of dementia is at a much more advanced stage. These other medical conditions may be much more treatable than is Alzheimer’s.

Experimental Alzheimer’s Testing

One of the most promising areas in Alzheimer’s testing is brain-scanning technology. While currently not considered to be conclusive, electronic imaging of the brain is being used by doctors and researchers increasingly to look for the kinds of swellings and tangles that are typical of Alzheimer’s disease. PET scanning can determine whether there is reduced activity in certain areas of the brain.

Genetic testing is also being evaluated as a possible method of Alzheimer’s testing. People possessing the AD gene, which produces a particular protein, are much more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. It is important to note, however, that the presence of this gene does not guarantee that Alzheimer’s disease will develop.