Before becoming a Registered Nurse, I spent 8 years working on specialized Alzheimer's units as a Certified Nursing Assistant. While this does not make me an expert in the area of Alzheimer's disease, I do feel I have some knowledge about caregiving which could prove useful to others who are finding themselves in the position of caring for a patient with this disease.
Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive illness, which begins with subtle clues. Some of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease center around forgetfulness; for example, the person may forget important information, or become lost while driving or walking in familiar areas. They may also exhibit a hindered ability to perform routine functions, such as balancing a checkbook, or performing household chores. The initial signs of the disease are often attributed to 'old age', and it is common for a person with early onset dementia to attempt to hide their change in mental status. Most times, in the early stages, a person is aware that something is happening in their minds. It is often only upon the discovery by family members and friends that the person is starting to exhibit signs of 'forgetfulness' often, that the person is urged to visit a doctor.
It should be noted that not all forgetfulness and not all dementia is Alzheimer's Disease. There are several dementias which can mimic Alzheimers symptoms, such as Korsokoff's Disease, or Diffuse Lewey Body Dementia. There is ongoing research in the area of being able to officially diagnose Alzheimer's disease. At this time, there is no way to definitely diagnose a person with Alzheimer's, since the only way to tell whether a person is afflicted is to do an autopsy on their brain. While there is no way of knowing by way of physical evidence that a person has the disease, doctors have ways of narrowing down the symptoms, and if Alzheimer's Disease is suspected, they will be diagnosed with "Alzheimer's type dementia".
During the initial doctor's visit for suspected Alzheimer's disease, the person will be asked a series of questions and be put through a battery of tests. For example, a 'Mini Mental' exam (link will open in new window) might be performed. The Mini Mental exam will attempt to establish the level at which their memory and cognitive skills are functioning. This test may seem simple, but to a person suffering from Alzheimer's it can be extremely difficult. Some of the tasks included on this test:
-The person administering the test will quote three words to the patient, and ask them to remember these words. After the conversation continues for several more minutes, the patient will be asked to recite those three words back to the examiner. It is common for patients with early stage Alzheimer's to be unable to do this. This test determines short term memory loss, which is one of the hallmarks of the disease.
-The person administering the test will hold an object in front of the person and ask them what it is (for example, a pen). This is to determine their cognitive ability and word finding skills. Problems with word finding is another common effect of Alzheimer's Disease.
The research into this disease is rampant, and the breakthroughs seem to come in trickles. Through such research, much has been learned about the disease, although at this time it is not known what causes Alzheimers to strike. There seems to be a link to heredity, however, this is not neccessarily the case.
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Upon autopsy on an Alzheimer's afflicted brain, it is noted that there are several plaques and tangles. The brain is filled with nerves, and these nerves transmit information and are responsible for our cognitive skills. In a person afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, plaques and tangles form around these nerves, making it impossible to transmit information from one nerve to another, thus impairing cognition. Think of nerve endings sending off electrical signals to one another. When these nerves become tangled or covered with plaque, the electrical signals are impaired severely, thus causing the decreased cognition in these people. The mind becomes impaired, as the plaques and tangles restrict nuerotransmitters from doing their jobs. Alzheimer's Disease can strike at any age, though it is most common in the elderly. The disease has stages, early middle and late, and each stage has definite symptoms and behaviors that go along with it, which I will be adding later.
This is a disease which can progress very slowly over a period of years, or it can progress more quickly. Average lifespan from age of onset can be anywhere from five to ten years. In the end, a person does not die from Alzheimer's, but from some complication of the disease, for example, influenza or pneumonia brought on by compromised immune system. Or, in the end stages ,a person may stop eating and drinking. It is usually not the actual Alzheimer's that ends a person's life, but rather, any one of a number of side effects of the disease.
At this time, there is no known cure for Alzheimer's Disease. There are several drugs that are being administered that seem to stabilize a patient and prolong their cognitive skills, (such as Aricept) however these drugs do not reverse or stop the disease process, and they may have unpleasant side-effects.
I would like to add, that the diagnoses of 'Alzheimer's' and the ensuing illness can be devasting to both the sufferer as well as their loved ones. It is a most difficult diagnosis to deal with and often, we as professional caregivers will find it neccessary to offer support to the families and loved ones of our patients.
More Information On This Website About Alzheimer's Disease
