If diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages wasn’t already hard enough, new studies are finding evidence that men and women show different symptoms when the disease is first beginning. This newest study shows that men lose verbal memory skills faster than women, thus making it a lot harder to catch Alzheimer’s early on in women than it is in men.
One reason that those involved in the study believe that this happens because of is that women tend to have better verbal memory skills earlier on in life, and this may provide a better buffer, or level of protection, against deterioration in this aspect of cognitive functioning. As Alzheimer’s progresses, this tends to even out. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, and it impacts not only cognitive functioning, but the way that the body operates, too. It is a fatal disease, but detecting it early on can help improve the quality of life for those affected by it for quite a while. This is why studies like this are so important; they show where current weaknesses are in current diagnostic methods. By knowing what the shortcomings are, we can be better prepared to overcome them and provide the very best care for our elderly loved ones. If your mom or grandma is still exhibiting signs of verbal mastery, yet has other the beginnings of other symptoms of Alzheimer’s, then it is a good idea to have them evaluated. The sooner you know what is going on, the sooner you can start doing something about it.
Alzheimer’s disease can be devastating for entire families. Finding an appropriate way to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is the best way to help alleviate this stress. Alzheimer’s care doesn’t need to take place in a nursing home, either. You can find skilled in-home caregivers that will come to you and your family, eliminating the stress of having a loved one in a nursing home, and keeping them with their family, right where they belong. This might seem like a small gesture, or it might seem like it isn’t taking their care seriously, but neither of these things are true. When it comes to loving your family, keeping them with you where they are safe and happiest is a huge thing for those involved. And as far as care goes, there are more than enough studies out there that show that when an Alzheimer’s patient is removed from a familiar setting, their symptoms exacerbate and their health deteriorates much more rapidly. Keeping them home, as long as your medical team agrees that it is best, is usually the very best thing that you can do for their health.
Do remember that the results of this study are still not confirmed. However, it does point out that there is still a lot of work to do in the field of Alzheimer’s research. For now, your focus should be on providing your loved one with the best care you can, regardless of what is going on with research.
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