I am here today to tell everybody here about a serious problem that has been going on for a long time. This problem is not limited to developing countries, and it is not limited to certain people. This problem is the crazy underfunding of Alzheimer’s disease. First of all, however, let me explain what Alzheimer’s is. It is a disease that causes the brain to lose almost all of two critical sections: The cerebral cortex and the hippocampus. These two sections of the brain control emotion, perception, awareness, speaking, and short-term memory. On top of that, America has the second highest death rate from Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is deadly and not extremely rare. It is the sixth leading cause of death according to the CDC (killing more people than the flu and pneumonia combined), and around a quarter of seniors will die having Alzheimer’s. All of this is a low estimate. The last time somebody checked, the measurement of Alzheimer’s deaths was only one-fifths of the actual number. Additionally, somebody will contract Alzheimer’s every 66 seconds, so somebody in America has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s since I have started talking. Without funding, it is also difficult to diagnose. The only way we can detect …show more content…
It turns out, we are barely ahead of the 19th century scientist, Alois Alzheimer, for which the disease was named after. All we have are a few drugs that barely work and don’t actually slow the disease down. Alzheimer’s is the only disease that both doesn’t have a cure or a way to slow it down while still being a top 10 cause of death. We spent $259 billion on Alzheimer’s in 2017. Even this doesn’t cover the cost, as another $230 billion in caregiving by volunteers. Alzheimer’s is more expensive than cancer, obesity, and arthritis combined. Think about it. Last year had to spend 26.3 percent of all Medicare money on caring for people with
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).
The article “Cracking the Alzheimer’s code” by Linda Marsa discusses the history, discoveries and advancements for Alzheimer’s disease. The discovery of Alzheimer’s disease was revealed through a German physician named Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer first discovered Alzheimer’s in the year 1901 while he was interviewing a mentally Ill patient named Auguste Dexter. The beginning of his discovery was due to the fact that Dexter was exhibiting uncontrollable behaviors that included jealously, screaming, confusion and paranoia. After Dexter had passed away, Alzheimer saw this as an opportunity to examine her brain under a microscope in thin pieces. To Alzheimer’s surprise, he discovered two abnormal substances on brain slices that were called amyloid
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).
A study in 1997 points out that in the UK between 38-57% of people, in long-term care, have a moderate to severe form of dementia (Elliot et al 1999). Most recent information shows that in the UK almost 800,000 people are affected by dementia, which translates into a financial burden costing £23 billion a year to the economy. It is also predicted that by 2040, the number of people affected by the disease is expected to double (Alzheimer's Society Dementia Report 2012)
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.
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.
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.
Purpose – I want to bring awareness to the fact that Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
Hello my name is Nick and I am giving my speech on Alzheimer’s Disease. I was thinking of what I could do for a speech. Then I thought I wanted to inform people on something that little know about. Then it hit me. Alzheimer’s Disease it has affected my life so much and I know so much about it. So I am going to tell you how it has affected my life in more ways than one. Before I start I want you to imagine something. Look around you know everyone right? All these faces you see practically see everyday take all that you know about them and forget it. Can you do it? I can’t. So try to imagine now that it could happen to you years down the road and the disease gets so bad you cant remember your kids, your mother, or even your family. You probably are thinking right now, it will not happen to me. Well that is what my grandfather said about 6 years ago and now he cant even remember my name.
Dementia is a major neurocognitive disorder that interferes with the independence of the elderly by inhibiting memory and thinking skills. Fifty to eighty percent of dementia cases constitute of Alzheimer’s diagnoses; consequently Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and currently affects 5.2 million Americans. Most of these cases are patients above the age of 65 and by 2050; 13.8 million Americans in total will suffer Alzheimer’s due to aging of the general population, specifically the baby boomers. Total cost to society ranges from $157- $215 billion (Associated Press). Some would assume the cost of Alzheimer’s to be incurred by pharmaceuticals or medical costs, however RAND Corp suggests dementia cost to society is from care rather than treatment. Therefore, assistance provided by informal providers and directs caregivers incur a majority of the financial and social cost. Currently, the workforce does not have the capacity or training to care for these unique patients; the delivery system needs to address Alzheimer’s as the population ages and more and more fam...
The human brain is the control center of the human body. It is the most important part of the body, because without a brain, none of us would be alive. In the brain, there are the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum holds memories, controls movement, and does problem solving and thinking. It is the biggest part of your brain. The cerebellum is underneath the cerebrum; it controls coordination and balance. The brain stem is the part closest to the neck. It controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, etc. (Alzheimer's Assosiation, 2011). The brain has two hemispheres as well as the three major sections; the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere. There is not exactly a “music area” in the brain.
There is currently no cure for this traumatic disease, but current Alzheimer’s disease medications and management strategies may temporarily improve symptoms. This can sometimes help people with Alzheimer’s disease maximize function and maintain independence.
The area at the front of the brain is the largest. Most of it is known as the cerebrum. It controls all of the movements that you have to think about, thought and memory.
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.