Alzheimer's Disease in the Elderly

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Alzheimer is a disease that affects the elderly most. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in the year 1906 when he was examining a female’s brain. He found out that the woman displayed memory loss, language problems and some inexplicable changes in behavior. The disease was named after the doctor who was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to memory loss, personality changes, and language problems (Gilbert & Julie 2). The disease is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65 years, though there is a small minority of people under the age of 50 who get the disease. Studies show that 1% of a whole population aged between the ages 65-75 have severe Alzheimer or dementia. This percentage increases to 7% of those aged between 76-85 years old. The elderly above 85 years of age have a 25% chance of getting Alzheimer. It is estimated that about 3 to 4 million Americans today have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia disorders (International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2). Alzheimer is one of the dementing disorders that affect the brain. It is the most common form of Dementia known to mankind. Dementia or dementing disorders are composed of a group of brain diseases that often leads to the loss of physical and mental functions. Alzheimer disease patients are increasing rapidly all over the world. This is because of the population growth of the elderly. As Alzheimer patients increase, so is the cost of care. Nursing homes and elderly care facilities have a great number of Alzheimer disease patients. The average annual cost of caring for Alzheimer’s disease patients is projected to be between $60 billion and $148 billion (Gilbert & Julie 3). C... ... middle of paper ... ...sease patients suffer several effects that need the care of other people. These patients need the care and assistance of others so that they can carry out activities and to avoid problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. Conclusion Alzheimer disease is a disease of the elderly. It affects them terribly. The disease is still growing among people due to the population growth. The cause and exact mode of treatment are not yet discovered making the disease one of the top diseases that causes serious effects. Works Cited Gilbert, Susan, and Julie Corliss. A Guide to Alzheimer's Disease. Boston, Mass: Harvard Health Publications, 2009. Print. International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. London: SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research, 2009. Web. 30 Mar. 2015 National Institute Of health. ‘’Alzheimer’s Disease: Unraveling the mystery.” 2003. Print.

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