There are many diseases that occur in the life span of human being. Some of these diseases a human is born with whereas others are developed as that human ages. A human is weakest and most prone to diseases as they are in their old age (aside from outstanding circumstances). A disease that is only found in the elderly is a disease called Alzheimer's disease. It is a very serious disease that has many effects and requires specific medical care. The disease does not yet have a viable cure, but there are methods to help those with the ailment on top of those who are searching for a cure to this disease. Alzheimer's currently effects 5.4 million people, of the age of 65 or older, in America alone. This means that an astounding 1/8 percent of America’s elderly population is effected by this disease. It is estimated that in a mere 36 years the amount of people effected from this disease will increase from 13 to somewhere between 24 through 29 percent. In 2006 a survey was held by The Center of Disease Control and Prevention to see how many people died of Alzheimer's that year, it was tallied that 72914 people passed away that year from this disease. It is also noted that many of those who have Alzheimer's disease most likely have a plethora of other life threatening diseases (most notably heart and respiratory problems). This knowledge made those who held the survey believe that many doctors marked the cause of death for those who had Alzheimer's as something other than the disease. Two years later Alzheimer's was dubbed as the disease with the sixth highest mortality rate in the United States of America. (Turkington “Alzheimer's Disease”). Alzheimer's is the most common of 70 forms of dementia. Dementia is defined as a brain disorde... ... middle of paper ... ...gh acetylcholine to counteract the amount that is lost from Alzheimer's. (Turkington “Alzheimer's Disease”). Alzheimer's is progressive disease that cripples a person more and more as time passes. This is a disease with one of the top morality rates in the United States of America. It is an especially terrible disease because of the way it takes a person and how it impacts not only their ability to live, but how it torments the victim’s family and friends. The advancements in ways to aid Alzheimer's Disease have come a long way in the past 20 years, but the disease still has no cure and slowly destroys its victim. With recent discoveries there is hope that maybe one day scientists will further their knowledge of the disease to which point they can cure it, at the same time Alzheimer's may never be curable and left to torment all of it takes under its curse.
The sixth leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease afflicts approximately 5.2 million persons age 65 and over (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). Rapid growth of the older population as the Baby Boomer generation ages will cause unprecedented increases in the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that by 2025 the number of Wisconsin residents with Alzheimer’s age 65 and older will increase by 30% to a projected total of 127,000 (Alzheimer's Association, 2012).
Alzheimer’s disease was first defined in 1906 by a German psychiatrist, Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive brain disorder in which the nerve cells in the brain gradually die off. It is estimated that 26 million people world-wide are afflicted by Alzheimer’s and of those, approximately 4.5 million live in the United States. It is said to be the seventh leading cause of death in the USA and the fifth leading cause of death for those over age 65. Seventeen percent of women and ten percent of men age 55 and older can expect to develop Alzheimer’s (apa.org, 2009). Researchers report that this disease is more prevalent in African Americans and Hispanics than in whites (Crandell, Crandell, and Zanden, 2009, p. 578).
...sion of the disease. In addition, the risk factors and preventive measures are quite clear. These can help those who are unaware of what Alzheimer’s disease is or how it progresses. Future studies may prove to be beneficial in preventing the occurrence of Alzheimer’s, or at least the severity of its’ progression. Informing people of this disease, the risk factors, and preventive measures at a younger age, can only prove beneficial in the decrease or possible elimination of this physically and mentally altering disease. Living a healthy life now can only increase your chances of having a healthier life in old age.
Dementia is a significant health issue in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012) (AIHW 2012). Whilst Dementia primarily affects older members of the community, it can also affect young people and has a significant influence on overall health and quality of life (AIHW 2012). The type of Dementia is a determinant in the severity and development of symptoms in individuals (Department of Health 2013) (DoH, 2013). The gradual, progressive and irreversible nature of Dementia has a considerable social and physical impact not only on the individual, but also on family and friends.
In this day and age, it seems as though almost everyone has experience a loved one taken away form a very serious disease known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is unbelievably devastating for everyone affected by it. This disease is causing major economical problems such as less occupancy in the nursing homes, and hospitals due to the rising population of elderly men and women being diagnosed with it everyday. Because there is not yet a cure for this disease and the percent of the population being diagnosed keeps rapidly rising, more time and money needs to go towards Alzheimer’s research.
Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder which kills the brain cells, causing memory loss and cognitive decline. This leads to severe psychological impairments which changes how people think, behave and other complications such as paranoia, disorientation and unprovoked aggression. These psychological impairments reduce people’s functional ability and therefore reduce their quality of life.
This paper is on dementia, a late-life disorder, as it pertains to the geriatric population. “It is estimated that 24.3 million people around the world have dementia and that, with an estimated 4.6 million new cases every year, we can expect about 43 million people and their families to have to handle the challenge of dementia by 2020.” (McNamera, 2011) I will cover three relevant points concerning this disorder that cause changes in the brain.
Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that becomes more prevalent with age. Discovered by German psychologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, it is associated with a memory loss, speech impediment, and dementia. In Canada alone, 500,000 people suffer from this terrible disease and the number of cases is predicted to double by 2031[7]. Worldwide, nearly 44 million people are believed to be experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and every 68 seconds, someone in the United States of America develops Alzheimer’s [8]. Alzheimer’s disease is also the sixth leading cause of death in North America. Furthermore, it is the only leading cause of death that is still increasing in prevalence. Not only fatal, Alzheimer’s is also severely crippling for all the friends and family that are affected by the patient. The memory loss and dementia that is directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease can cause the patient to forget the identity of their loved ones. For the people that have known the patient for many years, this can be very devastating. The long and terrible journey from an able-bodied and functioning member of society to a barely self-sufficient person is not a pleasant one. Undoubtedly, Alzheimer’s disease needs to be cured not only for those suffering from the affliction, but for their loved ones who have to endure the fateful journey as well.
Alzheimer’s disease, named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, is a disease that is on the rise in America and the rest of the world. People should learn as much as they want about this disease, because as you age, your chances of becoming an Alzheimer’s Disease, or AD, patient increases. It is estimated that approximately 3 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have the illness, and more than half of all people over age 85 have the ailment.
In the field of Psychology you can find an abundance of mental disorders that can have an affect on people all throughout the world. Out of all the mental disorders that can be found around the world, some of them are more well-known and more widespread than others. The following disorders could be described as being well-known and widespread disorders: depression, bi-polar disorder, Alzheimer's, and OCD, which could also be called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. All of these mental disorders can be very dangerous and possibly deadly if people don't receive the proper care in order to be able to contain these disorders. Out of these very dangerous and possibly deadly disorders, I believe that Alzheimer's is the most interesting disorder. I think that Alzheimer's is the most interesting disorder, because I think we have the least about of knowledge of the Alzheimer's disorder. As a society we still to this day don't have a cure that totally stops this disorder.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025.
Dementia is a long-term condition that normally affects people aged 65 and over, younger people can be affected. Having dementia can cause loss of key functions to the brain, such as; loss of memory; confusion; speech and language problems; loss of ability to make judgements; loss of concentration; difficulty in processing information; changes in behaviour and personality. These all lead to a person not been able to function properly. The person’s ability to function deteriorates over a period of time and is usually at least 6 months before positive diagnosis of dementia can be made. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer’s which is the most common of dementia, vascular which is a series of mini strokes,
There are four main types of dementia with AD being the most widespread form. It ac...
Many countries globally are faced with unprecedented demographic changes from high mortality and fertility to low mortality and fertility, giving rise to an ageing population. Population ageing is profound and enduring, and has major consequences and implications for all facets of human life. With a larger proportion of older people, one of the major concerns is health care. The health of older persons generally declines with age and some illness are more likely to be associated with older people. One of such illness is dementia. As the life expectancies of the general population have dramatically increased since the turn of the century, more and more people are at risk of developing dementia (National Institute of Aging, 2000).
Doctors and researchers are confident that there will soon be a treatment for Alzheimer's. There have been millions who have died or who have progressed too far in their disease. The symptoms` of Alzheimer’s Disease are very hard for the sufferer to deal with. They do not want to rely on a family member to take care of themselves because something is wrong with them. Alzheimer's is a very complex disease. This why scientists have still not found any cure for it. People with Alzheimer's suffer for almost twenty to twenty five years before their death.The worse thing about this disease is the patient does not even remember their family or friends. They also do not release what the actual meaning of life is by the time they die. People suffering from Alzheimer's are emotionally dead long before the physically die.