Be Informed About Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is difficult to diagnose and the number of people who are afflicted is growing. Each year I talk with multiple families in our community who are affected by Alzheimer’s.

A few years ago, it struck home for my family when my grandmother was diagnosed with the disease. The symptoms were there long before the diagnosis was confirmed. We wrongly assumed that the symptoms were merely normal signs of aging, or the acceleration of basic dementia.

Staying informed with accurate and up-to-date information is important. Families who are well-informed about Alzheimer’s are better prepared to recognize and respond to someone who is experiencing the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, is the most common form of dementia. In 1906 Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, first called attention to this condition.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers the following statistical data on the disease:

• Approximately 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.

• Unless a cure or prevention is found, that number will increase to between 11 and 16 million by 2050.

• One in 10 persons over age 65, and nearly half of those over 85 have Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease can occur in people in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s.

• A person with Alzheimer’s disease will live an average of 80 years, and as many as 20 years or more from the onset of symptoms.

• Depression is found in 20 percent of persons with Alzheimer’s disease, and in up to 50 percent of Alzheimer caregivers.

Although there is no single test to identify Alzheimer’s, a probable diagnosis may be made after a comprehensive evaluation that includes a complete health history, a physical and neurological examination, and a mental status assessment, as well as observation of symptoms and behavior.

At the present time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Progress of the disease cannot be stopped or reversed. However, intervention strategies and appropriate medication may be effective in lessening symptoms, and hopefully allowing for continued participation in many activities.

A person with Alzheimer’s disease may not be identified based on appearance alone. Persons with Alzheimer’s may maintain their social skills or behave normally in familiar settings. Many individuals with Alzheimer’s are conversant, articulate, and physically fit. Some may even hide or deny their symptoms. Symptoms and behaviors vary because the disease progresses at different rates in each individual.

Usually a person with Alzheimer’s disease displays some of the following symptoms:

• Poor or decreased judgement

• Frequent, short-term memory loss

• Difficulty performing familiar tasks

• Problems with language

• Disorientation as to time and place

• Problems with abstract thinking

• Problems misplacing things

• Wandering

• Sudden mood changes

• Loss of initiative


At some point, Alzheimer’s will affect every family and every congregation. Learn all that you can about the disease now, so that your response will be informed and caring. For more information, visit the web site of the Alzheimer’s Association at http://www.alz.org.