Monday, November 1, 2010

National Alzheimer's Awareness Month

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness month. It is estimated that as many as 5.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

According to the National Institute on Aging:

"Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). Plaques and tangles in the brain are two of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. The third is the loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain.

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). Plaques and tangles in the brain are two of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. The third is the loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain."

For FREE gifts for Caregivers go to: www.TheSacredJourneyofCaregiving.com/AlzWalk and for a limited time get a copy of Baby Boomers-Sandwiched Between Retirement & caregiving for only $20 at: www.BabyBoomersSandwich.com

Sincerely,
Sandra - Caregiver Guru

1 comment:

  1. Found your blog today, and have enjoyed the posts. I have been involved in Long-Term Care since 1987 and have written of my experiences at My Midwest Senior Advocacy Blog at

    http://midwestsenioradvocacy.blogspot.com/

    and would invite anyone interested in Nursing Homes and Culture Change to take a look at. Keep up the great work!!

    Sincerely,
    Tony Sexton

    ReplyDelete