Alzheimer’s disease is one of the scariest diagnoses that someone can receive. It means that your life is going to change in a dramatic way, and in ways that you will not understand as you’re experiencing it. It means that your memory is going to deteriorate and that your physical functioning will follow closely behind. There’s no cure for the disease and ultimately it is fatal. It is a lot for someone to take in and it’s a lot for the people that love someone with this diagnosis to take in, too.
Even though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are things that can be done to slow down the spread of the disease. But to make sure this happens, the disease needs to be detected early.
Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s include:
- Forgetting the names of familiar people or places
- Frequent repeating of the same thing
- Becoming less flexible when it comes to changes in routine or an increased hesitancy to try something new
- Misplacing items
- Memory loss
The early symptoms of Alzheimer’s can seem like normal parts of aging. And sometimes these things do happen as part of the aging process. It’s when there are multiple symptoms of Alzheimer’s present at once that it’s vital that you get your loved one to a doctor for a more thorough evaluation.
In many cases, senior care is not needed for someone who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Increased supervision may become necessary, especially if the person suffering from Alzheimer’s is prone to leave the house and wander. This can become a lot more likely in the middle stages of the disease, and this may be an indicator that some sort of assisted living or nursing home care is needed. You will need to get a physician’s input to have an accurate idea of what care is going to be best for your parent or grandparent.
Everyone takes the news that they have Alzheimer’s or might have an issue with their memory and ability to function a little bit differently. Be warned that your loved one may be in denial about what they are experiencing. They might even be angry with you for suggesting that they are having difficulty with things that once came easily to them. You may observe something that they do not think is a big concern. This happens a lot when dealing with Alzheimer’s. Just remember that however you approach it, you are not doing it to be hostile or combative with the person that you love, but rather you’re doing this because you care about them and their wellbeing. You’re having this conversation with them because you love them and want what’s best for them. Talking about Alzheimer’s or dementia can be tough, but it’s a powerful conversation and it’s one that may help them to get a little bit more out of their senior years. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but the sooner it is addressed, the longer that doctors can help prevent symptoms from worsening in many instances.
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